About a month before I found out about my intolerances I stumbled upon this recipe for chocolate banoffee tart. I hadn't heard of Banoffee before and these photographs and recipe made me (my least favourite word) salivate.
I couldn't get this darn tart off my mind and planned it to be the next dessert I would make. This all happened around exam time, of course, and was pushed away. Before I got a moment to dwell on my entrance to the wonderful world of toffee and banana again I got my results back about my intolerances: no pie.
The world came crashing down around me. Ok, not quite that extreme, but I was disappointed.
Then I went and stayed in London with my brother and sister-in-law and on my first night they took me to their favourite vegetarian restaurant: Mildred's. (I can easily talk about Mildred's for hours, but I'll spare you - for more read my facts about England).
In short: I didn't dare believe my sister-in-law when she told me there were vegan desserts on the menu.. but when their dessert menu came out and I saw for myself that there was not only one, but about six different desserts I could choose from, I felt the heavens had opened above me.
And what could make this occasion even better? The first dessert on the menu was Banoffee Pie. Yes way.
All three of us ordered the same, and my goodness that slice of pie was enough on its own to make flying for 30 hours so absolutely worth it.
I could share with you many more of the delights that Mildred's dessert menu had to offer as I returned on my last night with my brother and sister-in-law, then again by myself on my last night overseas. I could tell you of the joys of chocolate truffle cake with raspberry coulis, of chinese dumplings and roasted artichoke mezes and wellingtons and oh.. But I'm not sure I could ever do the place justice.
If you are ever in London, visit Mildred's.
Each night the wait was considerable. They don't accept bookings. But if you want to taste vegan food out of this world, you need to wait.
Once back in Australia, to the sun and summer and beaches (and fires), I wanted to get my family together to say thank you for all they had done to get me where I had been and share with them the many adventures I had had. A dinner, I thought. And what better way than attempt to share with them the pleasures of Mildred's.
My sister-in-law had discovered Mildred's blog, and on it the Chestnut and Truffle Wellington that we had declared the greatest meal of our lives. Well, for me, anyway. I spent my weekend in the kitchen creating this masterpiece with a fabulous port gravy, spiced red cabbage and mixed potato and beetroot wedges. But this will be another story.
To complement this main (oh, and zucchini flowers for entree) I prepared a Vegan Banoffee Pie.
This darned pie had to be worth it. I made it the day before our dinner whilst in a house I had been looking after for a friend and so had to move it that night to take it home. Leaving, in the dark, by myself, holding the pie, locking the door, I proceeded to fall down the flight of stairs from the front door to my car.
In a crumpled heap with bruising already starting and a twisted ankle and skinned knees, I sat with this bloody pie above my head. I hardly dared to look. I had saved the pie.
And thank goodness I did, every crumb was worth it.
Vegan Banoffee Pie
Makes 14 generous slices/fills a 24 cm flan tin.
Crust
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup pecans (next time I think I'll reduce the pecans and increase cashews, the pecans have a strong flavour)
1/3 cup cashews
1/2 cups dried dates, soaked in boiling water for a few minutes (discard water before using)
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
(add a few tbsp cocoa powder to make a chocolate-crusted variation)
Banana Layer
3 - 4 bananas, ripe but not too brown
Toffee
2/3 cup (115g) brown sugar
2/3 cup (115g) margarine
1 tbsp golden syrup
200mL non-dairy milk (I used almond)
2 dessert spoons cornflour
1 tsp vanilla
Cream
2 - 3 tins worth of coconut cream
(Place 3 tins in the coolest part of your fridge, when required scoop out the thick cream layer from the tin and put away the liquid that remains. You just want this thick cream, start with two tins and make a third if the tart tin is not filled)
3 (- 5) tbsp icing sugar
Garnish
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Mint leaves
(Add the mint leaves, they balance the flavours unbelievably - even my mint-hating father-in-law agrees!)
Method
Crust
Blitz your nuts in a food processor until crumbs, then add drained dates, then coconut oil and blitz until combined.
Press into flan tin base and sides. Refrigerate.
Bananas
Slice thinly your bananas in an even layer, completely covering the base of the crust.
Toffee
Gently heat the sugar, margarine and golden syrup in a saucepan. Stir continuously until it begins to boil and become foam-like. Simmer in this state for 5 or so minutes without letting it get hotter.
Remove from heat.
Whisk together milk and cornflower until the cornflour has dissolved. In a saucepan over medium heat whisk to form a thick white sauce. Add the vanilla.
Add the white sauce to the toffee mixture, whisking continuously until completely combined. Remove any lumps of cornflour remaining and discard.
Once cooled to room temperature, cover the banana layer with an even layer of toffee and refrigerate to set.
Cream
You need to wait until the pie has chilled before adding this layer so wait a bit before making the cream.
In a chilled mixing bowl add sifted icing sugar to the cream and whisk with an electric mixer until thickened. You will notice stiff peaks forming when the cream is whipped.
Cover the chilled tart with the cream layer.
Garnish
Before serving sift a light layer of cocoa powder over the pie and garnish with two mint leaves per slice.
Enjoy with a cup of quality black coffee, or some black tea to cut the richness.
Makes 14 generous slices/fills a 24 cm flan tin.
Crust
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup pecans (next time I think I'll reduce the pecans and increase cashews, the pecans have a strong flavour)
1/3 cup cashews
1/2 cups dried dates, soaked in boiling water for a few minutes (discard water before using)
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
(add a few tbsp cocoa powder to make a chocolate-crusted variation)
Banana Layer
3 - 4 bananas, ripe but not too brown
Toffee
2/3 cup (115g) brown sugar
2/3 cup (115g) margarine
1 tbsp golden syrup
200mL non-dairy milk (I used almond)
2 dessert spoons cornflour
1 tsp vanilla
Cream
2 - 3 tins worth of coconut cream
(Place 3 tins in the coolest part of your fridge, when required scoop out the thick cream layer from the tin and put away the liquid that remains. You just want this thick cream, start with two tins and make a third if the tart tin is not filled)
3 (- 5) tbsp icing sugar
Garnish
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Mint leaves
(Add the mint leaves, they balance the flavours unbelievably - even my mint-hating father-in-law agrees!)
Method
Crust
Blitz your nuts in a food processor until crumbs, then add drained dates, then coconut oil and blitz until combined.
Press into flan tin base and sides. Refrigerate.
Bananas
Slice thinly your bananas in an even layer, completely covering the base of the crust.
Toffee
Gently heat the sugar, margarine and golden syrup in a saucepan. Stir continuously until it begins to boil and become foam-like. Simmer in this state for 5 or so minutes without letting it get hotter.
Remove from heat.
Whisk together milk and cornflower until the cornflour has dissolved. In a saucepan over medium heat whisk to form a thick white sauce. Add the vanilla.
Add the white sauce to the toffee mixture, whisking continuously until completely combined. Remove any lumps of cornflour remaining and discard.
Once cooled to room temperature, cover the banana layer with an even layer of toffee and refrigerate to set.
Cream
You need to wait until the pie has chilled before adding this layer so wait a bit before making the cream.
In a chilled mixing bowl add sifted icing sugar to the cream and whisk with an electric mixer until thickened. You will notice stiff peaks forming when the cream is whipped.
Cover the chilled tart with the cream layer.
Before serving sift a light layer of cocoa powder over the pie and garnish with two mint leaves per slice.
It wasn't until I showed my partner my masterpiece that I realised why it's called Banoffee. Doup.
Me: "Look what I made today!"
Him: "Wow, looks good! What is it?"
Me: "Banoffee Pie!!"
Him: "Banoffee? What's that?"
Me: "Banana and toffee pie."
Him: "Haha, Banoffee, cool."
Me: .... Durhh!
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