A Busy Weekend

I just got back from a church friend's wedding. I've known the groom since he was in the forth grade so it was really sweet to be able to be there for his big day. Weddings are bittersweet for me when my husband is overseas. On one hand, it's so beautiful, all the flowers and dresses, the cake. On the other, I'm alone in a sea of couples knowing that my husband is thousands of miles away. I don't usually dance, but for some reason I had boogie fever tonight. Somehow, I managed to finish the pie I had started this morning when I got home.

Banoffee is my all time favorite pie, and it is ridiculously easy to make. It's one of the only things I did not get to try on my very brief trip to the UK several years ago that I have become quite attached to. With only five ingredients, it can be made quickly if company drops in unannounced.

The pie gets its name from its ingredients: bananas and toffee (more like a very thick caramel sauce). I boil a can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water for three hours, but you could use the dulce de leche that can be found in the Hispanic food section of your local grocery. I recommend using a very large pot and boiling a couple at once so you'll have a can on hand. Normally I cheat and buy a pre-made graham crust, but I came across digestive biscuits and remembered hearing that this is the only kind of crust to use (unfortunately, all I could find were the chocolate covered ones, but I'm not complaining cause those are the best). I'm still not sure how I ever survived eating this pie without the digestive biscuit crust, but I know better now. this will be the only way I'll do it from now on.

Tomorrow I have my mom's birthday and Father's Day. Hopefully, you all will like the cake and dinner I have planned (Italian Cream and Lasagna...YUM!). For now, enjoy!

Banoffee Pie

Recipe from All Recipes, adapted by me

1 can (14 oz) sweetened, condensed milk

1 3/4 cup digestive biscuits, crushed (I found these at an actual grocery store, not WalMart; regular graham crackers will do just fine though)

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 banana, sliced (you can use more if you want, this is the only way I'll even eat bananas since I don't care for them)

1 cup heavy whipping cream (you can use 1 tsp vanilla extract and roughly 1 Tbl sugar to sweeten the cream just a little; you won't want too much more than that though)

1. In a large pot, place the can of condensed milk and fill to the top of the can with water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for three hours (the longer you boil the can, the darker the caramel will be). Do not allow the water to boil completely away. Refill as necessary and flip can if needed. When finished boiling, remove from pan and allow to cool completely before opening.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a blender or food processor, crush the digestive biscuits until they are a fine crumb. Add melted butter and stir until all the crumbs are moist. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan.
3. Cook the crust for 10-15 minutes. Crust will darken only slightly. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
4. Slice banana into thin discs and layer along the bottom of the crust (some recipes call for it going on top of the caramel, but I prefer it this way; go with your gut on this step). Scoop the caramel over the top of the banana slices and smooth.
5. In the bowl of a mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Scoop over the top of the caramel and spread out. Go into a sugar coma after one bite then have another (be prepared with milk).