Back to Basics Banoffee Pie

There has been a particular recipe sitting on my shelf for far too long, and now that I've tried it, I don't quite know what I was so afraid of. I've been terrified of trying Banoffee Pie, or any caramel based recipe, due to the fact that I'm afraid to make caramel.

I can't for the life of me understand why. It's incredibly easy, and oh-so-satisfying to taste the results. Unless you're an idiot like me and taste it right out of the hot saucepan. I'm still waiting for my lip to blister, wondering if it will be so unsightly that I may need to take some days off work. LOL, jokes.

A good friend of mine asked me last week if I can do Banoffee Pie, and I told her the truth: that I've never tried it, but have always wanted to try. She then went on to say that she's got a friend who may be interested in asking me to do the dessert for her wedding! 60 mini Banoffee Pies! Is it silly of me to even try and wish for this gig?

I whipped up (heh, geddit?) a sample for her, and made a test pie to go with it... from my side, the flavour and texture turned out great, and everyone here seems to like it. I just wonder if she'll feel the same. Sitting on tenterhooks here and biting my nails to boot!

But that said, whether or not she goes for my Banoffee Pie, I've not opened up a whole new world for myself! CARAMEL!

Banoffee Pie

Crust

• 250g plain digestives, passionately whacked with a rolling pin into fine crumbs
• 120g butter, melted

Filling

• 100g butter
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 397g condensed milk

Topping

• 3 medium bananas, ripe and soft
• 300ml whipping cream

1. To make the crust, mix the digestive crumbs and butter using a fork, then press into the bottom of a lightly greased pan (I used a round tin foil pan for ease of delivery, but springform or removable bottom is ideal). Use the bottom of a glass to firmly pat the crumbs down. Then chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling
2. In a non-stick saucepan, gently heat the butter and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour in the condensed milk and bring to a boil gently, making sure to stir continuously so the caramel doesn't burn
3. Pour the caramel over the chilled crust and smooth it out with a rubber spatula then chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour while the caramel sets
4. Just before serving, slice your ripe bananas to cover the caramel
5. To make the whipped cream, be sure to chill your bowl and whisk for 2-5 minutes beforehand. Then for a creamy, yet not overpoweringly sweet whipped cream topping, just whisk the cream for around 1 minute (if you're using an electric mixer) or until soft peaks form and you can turn the bowl over and the cream stays intact. Smooth or pipe the cream over the top
6. For extra decoration, you can grate some semi-sweet chocolate over the top of the pie, or decorate with slices of bananas

It couldn't be easier, and now I'm dying to make more pies to give away to friends and family members!

x Nabs

P.S. Sorry for the ugly, over-exposed pictures...

Milo Cupcakes with Condensed Milk Frosting

Milo.

I'll drink it hot, I'll drink it cold, I'd eat it in it's powder form, I'd sprinkle it between two pieces of plain sliced bread, I'd do anything with it.

I'm a Milo ho, yo.

Milo is a very popular drink here, it is a chocolate and malt powder, and has become a staple in most households and office buildings. Kids grow up (okay, I'm generalising here, I grew up) drinking this stuff, fully expecting to transition to tea in my late teens, and then eventually starting on coffee. The transition is true enough, but I still enjoy a hot cup of Milo in the mornings sometimes, or ice-Milo when I'm feeling decadent.

So naturally, when I came across the recipe for Milo Cupcakes from Steph, it was only a matter of when. The when came that night, after work. So what if I was knackered and had fallen asleep while I waited for the cupcakes to bake? So what if I'm trying to refrain from sweets and carbs after 7pm?

This recipe yielded one of the fluffiest and lightest textures I've ever achieved in a cupcake, and the flavour is just so spot-on, I basically crave one just typing up this post.

I didn't manage to get many good pictures of the cuppies as I only had time to snap pictures after two days, and these were the only ones left. So, I'll simply have to re-do the recipe soon to take better shots!

Milo Cupcakes with Condensed Milk Frosting

by Steph at Raspberri Cupcakes

• 200g all-purpose flour
• 200g granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
• 100g Milo

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 180g sour cream
• 170g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs

Condensed Milk Frosting

• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 5 tbsp condensed milk
• a pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 180C, line cupcake tray
2. Sift flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and Milo in a medium sized bowl
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy, add in the sugar, beat until fluffy
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
5. Add sour cream and vanilla and beat until just combined
6. Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated
7. Fill cupcake liners and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at an angle comes out clean
8. Cool for a minute in the pans, then let them cool completely on a wire rack
9. For the frosting: beat butter and salt until fluffy, add sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add the condensed milk, and beat well.

The batter is so light that you have to be sure not to fill too much in the cupcake liners, I filled them up 3/4 of the way as usual, but they all got a bit too big. As you can see in the pictures above, I trimmed a few of them.

Then ate the trimmings. As one does.

x Nabs