A layered dessert that is as luxurious as it is divinely indulgent.
Named after its two crucial ingredients, banana and toffee, Banoffee Pie is a heavenly layered dessert that features a biscuit crumb base, condensed milk and shaved (or curled) dark chocolate to finish.
Claimed to be first invented in 1971 by owner of East Sussex restaurant, The Hungry Monk, Nigel Mackenzie and his chef Ian Dowding; together the duo were altering an American recipe for Blum’s Coffee Toffee Pie and decided to add banana. Since then Banoffee Pie has become a world favourite.
Since their inception 16 years ago, Sydney’s favourite Italian eatery, Fratelli Fresh has featured the world-famous dessert on their menu, renamed as the Banoffee Torta.
Selling on average 400 slices of the Banoffee Torta every week, Fratelli Fresh’s team of pastry chefs go through 150 tins of condensed milk and 150 packets of digestive biscuits every week to hand-make this mouthwatering dessert.
Now, they want to share their secret recipe to the Banoffee Torta so you can make it yourself at home.
Cooking time: 7.5 hours | Difficulty: Easy – Medium | Servings: 12
INGREDIENTS:
4 x 395g tins sweetened condensed milk
300g unsalted butter, chopped
750g digestive biscuits
50g hazelnut praline paste (optional)
½ vanilla bean, split & seeds removed
600mL thickened cream
75g caster sugar
4 bananas, sliced
200g 70% dark chocolate, curled
METHOD:
1. Place the tins of condensed milk in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on a very low heat for 5 hours, making sure to keep tins covered with water. Remove the tins and cool in the fridge overnight.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter either in a small saucepan over low heat, or in a bowl in a microwave. Add hazelnut praline paste (if using) and mix to combine.
3. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until finely crumbed. Add melted butter and mix to combine.
4. Add biscuit crumb to a loose-based flan tin and press mixture into the base of the tin until it is nice and compact. Place tin in the freezer for 2 hours to firm up.
5. Use a piping bag and thick nozzle (size 20), pipe caramel over biscuit base, piping in a circle, starting from the centre. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can simply spoon the caramel and smooth it down.
6. Add vanilla seeds and sugar to the cream and whisk until stiff peaks form.
7. Remove the pie crust topped with caramel from the tin and transfer onto your serving plate. Pipe or spread the cream over the caramel, then decorate with banana and chocolate swirls.
Of course if your skills aren’t quite up to scratch, we’d recommend visiting your nearest Fratelli Fresh to let the professionals do all of the hard work – you won’t be disappointed.
Fratelli Fresh
Crows Nest, Darling Harbour, Entertainment Quarter, Manly, Miranda
(02) 9259 5600
Website
Looking to try and recreate some of the yummiest dishes served at some of Sydney’s best restaurants and eateries? For an afternoon snack get cheesy with Rocker Bondi’s Roasted Cauliflower Cheese Toastie recipe. Or for a Mexican-infused dinner, try the recipe for SoCal Neutral Bay’s Baja Fish Taco.
