Cloudy Banoffee Pie

I first tried a banoffee pie some years ago and simply loved the combination of dulce de leche and banana. However, we are not very big fans of whipped cream in this house. So, I never even considered making one at home. That's until this cloudy and easy banoffee pie got born.

The idea of replacing the whipped cream with a different layer came to me on our Sifnos trip when I got a version of this dessert which was topped with vanilla ice cream. It got me thinking - why not make a cloudy meringue and use it as a topping? And that was exactly what I did at least 3 times now, making us love each bite of this creamy, sweet and delicious treat.

This being said, let me tell you exactly how to make banoffee pie, the meringue version.

• When it comes to the specific banoffee pie taste, two very distinctive layers make it stand out - dulce de leche and bananas.
• Personally, I always make my own dulce de leche, but if you are not very fond of doing so and prefer to buy a pre-made jar, you can skip the next steps.
• To make your dulce de leche, you will need a can of sweetened condensed milk. Place it in a big pot and cover it completely with water.
• Simmer it for 3 hours on low heat, adding more water as you go. You need to keep the can 100% submerged all the time, or else it will explode (it's actually a very easy process even though it sounds difficult and dangerous).
• After 3 hours, take it off the heat and let it cool. You can do this part a day or two ahead.

Now, for the rest of the cake.

• Start by melting 100g of butter for the crust. In a food processor, grind 200g of digestive biscuits until fine. Combine the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter. Line a 20cm springform pan with parchment paper on the base and sides. Evenly spread and press the biscuit blend into the pan using a spatula or glass. If desired, you can also push the mixture up the pan's sides.
• Place the pan in the fridge and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.
• This will give you time to prepare the filling and the topping.
• Let's start with the topping. Beat 3 eggs with lemon juice and vanilla at speed 2 in a standing mixer.
• In a separate saucepan, mix 100g of sugar with 35 ml of water.
• Heat the mixture to 118 degrees Celsius.
• With the mixer set to medium speed, slowly pour the hot syrup in a thin stream over the eggs, continuing to beat throughout.
• After all the syrup has been added, increase the mixer speed to high.
• Continue mixing until the bowl cools down completely and the mixture forms firm peaks.
• While this happens, you can focus on the filling.
• Open your dulce de leche can and pour it into a clean skillet. Add the vanilla extract and salt and place the skillet on medium-low heat. Stir until the dulce de leche gains a more liquid consistency but be careful not to burn it.

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• When ready, let it rest at room temp.
• Peel your bananas and cut them into slices. Drizzle the lemon juice all over the fruits to prevent them from becoming black.
• Take your springform pan out of the fridge and spread the dulce de leche all over the biscuit layer. Top it with the prepared bananas.

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• Spread the meringue over the tart.
• Use a culinary blowtorch to finish the top of the meringue.
• If you don't have a blowtorch, bake your dessert in the preheated oven at 220 degrees Celsius (425 F) for 5-6 minutes or until nice and golden.
• Let it rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving it.

And that, for us, is the best banoffee pie recipe, regardless of how many banoffee pie recipes are out there. And there are a lot of them.

If you want to know a bit more about the banoffee pie origin, let me tell you a thing or two. First, I have to admit that I was almost certain that this dessert comes from sunny places such as Greece. I actually found out from an Instagram friend that this pie is from Great Britain. More precisely, it was developed at a place called The Hungry Monk Restaurant in Jevington, East Sussex.

Anyway, it is a fantastic recipe to try, and as you can see, it is actually very easy to make. I do hope you will give our version a chance and tag us on Instagram to see your thoughts.

* For more banana desserts, you can always try our Dreamy Mousse Cake.