Banoffee Pie

I only recently heard of this pie, and let me tell you, after one bite I was wondering where it had been all my life?!  I love dulce de leche and have been eating it for years as a family tradition for New Years Eve.  The sweet caramel flavor is so delicious and easy to make.  Every layer of this pie is delicious and combines to make an amazing pie.  There are several variations on how to make this, but this is how I did it.  I started out with a Nilla wafer crust then topped it with sliced bananas, dulce de leche, and a creamy cheesecake layer.  Finally I sprinkled cocoa powder on top and decorated it with chocolate curls.




*Updated May 18, 2012.  I made this pie again for Mother's Day with a few changes that I felt made this even better!



Banoffee Pie
slightly modified from The Sister's Cafe and Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Filling:

1 9 inch Nilla wafer crust (can also use a graham cracker or a chocolate crust)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 bananas
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP powdered sugarcocoa powder

Instructions:

Prepare Dulce de Leche according to these instructions or using one of these methods: 

Stove Top Method: Remove the label from can of sweetened condensed milk. Put in pot and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 1/2 hours. Be sure to keep the can totally covered in water to be safe. The can will burst if it is not completly covered in water the whole time! Be careful!! When cooled enough that you can handle with can with your bare hands, it is safe to open.

Crock Pot Method: Take the label of the can and place in crock pot. Cover completely with water. Put lid on and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Just once again make sure there is plenty of water and the cans are covered the entire time! Cool before opening.

Oven Method: Open can of sweetened condensed milk and pour into a glass pie plate. Cover with tin foil. Place in a roasting pan and fill pan halfway with water. Place in a 300 degree oven and bake for 40 minutes or until is a rich caramel color.

Allow to cool then slice up the bananas and place on the prepared pie crust. Pour the Dulce de Leche evenly over top of the bananas.  Whip cream until soft peaks appear and mix in the 2 TBSP powdered sugar.  Spread the whipped cream over the top and serve immediately.

* This pie can be refrigerated until ready for use but I've found that doing this makes the Dulce de Leche get quite runny.  It still tastes amazing but the texture is better when it is served immediately.  If you're concerned about time, you could always make the pie crust and the Dulce de Leche ahead of time.  The rest only takes about 5 minutes to put together.

Nilla Wafer Pie Crust
from Baking Bites

2 2/3 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 egg white, lightly beaten (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.
In the food processor whiz Nilla wafer cookies until reduced to crumbs. Alternately you can use a ziplock bag and a mallett.  Add in sugar, vanilla extract and melted butter and pulse to combine. Mixture should resemble wet sand.
Pour into a 9-inch pie plate (or 9-inch square baking dish) and gently spread into an even layer over the bottom and sides. Press crumbs in firmly to create a tight crust. Use a pastry brush to gently brush the beaten egg white over the surface of the crust (you do not need to use the whole egg white).
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until crust just begins to turn golden brown around the edges.
Cool completely before using.

Makes 1 pie crust.


*To make the chocolate curls I followed this tutorial by Pioneer Woman