Did you know the top three favorite pies served on board Holland America ships are Dutch Apple Pie, Blueberry Pie and Banoffee Pie? What, you might ask, is Banoffee Pie?  Banoffee, a classic English dessert, gets its name when you combine the two main ingredients… bananas and toffee, although the toffee is more of a caramel.  Create a Banoffee for yourself and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE PIE:

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups condensed milk
• 3 bananas sliced with a few drops of lemon juice to keep from browning

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:

• 2 cups cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 bananas sliced with a few drops of lemon juice to keep from browning
• 3.5 gelatin leaves soaked in ice water

FOR THE GARNISH:

• 1 banana sliced with a few drops of lemon juice to keep from browning
• Caramel sauce (purchased or make your own)

HOW TO MAKE:

FOR THE CRUST:

• Mix the graham cracker and melted butter into crumb consistency, then shape mixture into pie shell, insuring that you cover the entire base and sides of pie shell.
• Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
• Tip: you can use the bottom of a measuring cup to pat down the crumb mixture into an even layer.

FOR THE FILLING:

• Caramelize brown sugar in thick-bottom pan on medium heat, then remove from heat and mix in soft butter well.
• Place back on heat and add the condensed milk.
• Bring to boil, stirring continuously to make thick caramel.
• As soon as it starts to thicken, remove from heat.
• Spread filling over graham cracker crumb, allow to chill down in the refrigerator.
• Layer sliced bananas over the thick caramel.

FOR THE TOPPING:

• Using a hand or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the cream and sugar on medium-high speed until soft/loose peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.
• Melt the gelatin then fold in whipped cream and two sliced bananas.
• Spread over caramel and banana layers in the pie shell, then allow to chill in the refrigerator.
• Note, if you can’t get gelatin leaves, you can make a simple whipped topping (or even use store-bought).

TO SERVE:

• Slice pie into equal portions and plate, then decorate with sliced banana garnish and drizzle with caramel sauce.