Banoffee “Danger” Pie

I don’t really like bananas.  Something about the texture and the after taste.  And probably something to do with growing up with apple bananas in Cayman.  I love apple bananas, I can eat 3 or 4 at once, they are sweeter, a little tangy and very smooth, mmmmm … apple bananas.  But the regular bananas you get in the grocery store, Cavendish bananas, well, they generally aren’t my cup of tea.  Isabella goes through phases where she will eat 3 bananas a day. They are the first thing she asks for when she wakes up, she will stop in her tracks at the park and ask for one, devour it and then ask for another.  Banana, please!  So we buy them and she eats them and we buy more until one morning she wakes up and looks at you like you have lost your mind when you offer her a banana.

And then we are left with a bunch of bananas, sitting in a bowl on the counter, getting more ripe by the minute.  Sometimes Martin makes banana bread or takes them to work.  I try to ignore them.  It happened last week she went from 2 bananas a day, to giving me and the banana dirty looks when offered.  And for some reason I thought of Banoffee “Danger” Pie.  That’s right, this pie has a middle name, and it is Danger.

It is British, obviously – just say the word Banoffee – it practically requires a slight British accent.   This isn’t a delicate dessert.  It is very sweet and very rich.  And very good.  It is a dessert that makes you feel like a kid.

Banoffee Pie

1 and 1/2 cups graham crackers, finely ground

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large banana, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Place the condensed milk in a pot of water and let boil for two and half hours.  Add water as needed to ensure that the cans are always covered.  Let the cans cool until you can pick them up.  Carefully open them and pour into a bowl.  Add the salt and mix well to combine.

In a large bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar.  Mix well to combine.  Press into a pie plate. And bake until slightly golden.  About 10 minutes.

Remove and let cool completely.

Layer the bananas and dulce de leche in the pie shell and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Whip the cream to soft peaks and top the pie.  I left the whipped cream unsweetened – the filling is very sweet – but you can add a little sugar if you like.

Enjoy!