Banoffee Pie with Stovetop Toffee and Coffee Cream

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The English pub classic, built the original way: a pressed biscuit crust, a thick butterscotch toffee cooked from scratch on the stovetop instead of boiled in a can, a heavy layer of ripe bananas, and barely-sweet whipped cream spiked with espresso to cut the sugar. It slices clean after a proper chill and tastes far more grown-up than its reputation.

Ingredients

• 9 oz digestive biscuits or graham crackers (about 2 sleeves)
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup or light corn syrup
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 4 ripe but firm bananas
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder
• 1/4 cup cold mascarpone or crème fraîche
• 1 oz dark chocolate (70%), for shaving
• flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Break the biscuits into a food processor and pulse to fine crumbs (you want about 2 1/4 cups); or seal them in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin. Pulse or stir in the brown sugar, salt, and melted butter until the crumbs look like damp sand and hold together when squeezed.
2. Dump the crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate. Press firmly up the sides first, then across the bottom, using the flat base of a measuring cup to compact the crust into an even 1/4-inch layer. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until fragrant and slightly darker at the edges. Cool completely on a rack, about 30 minutes — a warm crust will melt the toffee into it.
3. Make the toffee: melt the butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and golden syrup and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles, about 2 minutes. Pour in the entire can of condensed milk and add the salt.
4. Cook the toffee over medium to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula and scraping the bottom and corners, for 8 to 12 minutes. It will thicken, deepen to the color of peanut butter, and start to pull away from the sides of the pan in a mass. A candy thermometer should read 225 to 228°F. Do not walk away — condensed milk scorches quickly.
5. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla. Scrape the toffee into the cooled crust and spread level with an offset spatula. Let it cool 20 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days) until firm and no longer sticky to a light touch.
6. Slice the bananas 1/3 inch thick on a slight angle and toss gently with the lemon juice. Shingle them over the chilled toffee in tight overlapping circles, covering the surface completely and using every slice — the banana layer should be nearly as thick as the toffee.
7. Whip the cream: dissolve the espresso powder in 1 teaspoon hot water and let it cool. In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream with the powdered sugar on medium speed until it holds soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Add the mascarpone and cooled espresso and beat 20 to 30 seconds more, just to medium peaks — stop the moment it looks thick and matte or it will turn grainy.
8. Pile the cream over the bananas and swoop it into waves with the back of a spoon, sealing it to the crust edge so the fruit doesn't darken. Refrigerate uncovered at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours to set.
9. Just before serving, shave the dark chocolate over the top with a vegetable peeler and add a few flakes of sea salt. Slice with a large knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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