Banoffee Pie

It's not often I make big family puddings, but the other day I thought I'd treat my family to a banoffee pie. The diet had been wavering for a few days so we thought we'd make the most of calorific treats before we went back to being good. Banoffee pie is one of the simplest puddings to make with a only a handful of steps and ingredients involved. The biscuit base, rich, sweet caramel and whipped cream topping means that it's not the healthiest of puds, but one of indulgence- great for the family or if you have people round for dinner.

I used a William Leigh recipe for this banoffee pie; it turned out so well I thought I'd share it with you:

For the base:
- 75g butter or margarine
- 200g digestive biscuits

For the caramel:
- 150g soft brown sugar
- 150g butter or margarine
- One 397g can of condensed milk

For the topping:
- 2 bananas
- 150ml whipping cream
- some dark chocolate for grating



1. Put the biscuits in a bag and crush with a rolling pin or put in a food processor and pulse until they looks like breadcrumbs. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan.

2. Pour the biscuit into the butter and mix well, making sure they are all coated. Press the biscuit mix into a tart tin or medium sized pie dish, making sure the whole dish (base and sides) is covered well. Leave to chill and set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. When the base is set, make the caramel by heating the sugar and butter in a pan. Keep stirring as they melt to ensure all of the sugar dissolves and they blend together.

4. Add the condensed milk and keep stirring as you bring it to the boil. When the caramel is nice and thick, take off the heat and pour over the biscuit base. Leave this to set in the fridge for about 45 minutes.

5. When you are ready to serve the pudding, slice up the bananas and place them over the caramel. Whip the cream with an electric whisk and smooth over the bananas. Grate some dark chocolate over the cream for the finishing touch- I also put a few bananas on top of the cream for decoration.

Hope you enjoy!