This is, originally, an English dessert but we will add just one thing to add a French influence. Banoffi means “can’t take it off” and the English establishment couldn’t take it off their menu it was sooooo good.
Try it. Seeing as how salted caramel is the latest rage, it might hit the top of the list for you too.
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- pinch of fine sea salt
- 6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp. cold water
Pulse the flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it becomes a coarse texture. Mix 2 tbsp. water, vinegar and egg yolk together to combine and add to the flour mixture while still pulsing. If the dough doesn’t come together in about 5 pulses, add the remaining tbsp. of water. Shape into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-2 1/2 hours.
Filling
- 2 tins sweetened condensed milk
- pinch of Fleur de sel
For filling, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrape condensed milk into a 9 inch pie plate and stir in the fleur de sel. Cover with foil and place inside a larger pan with at least 1 inch of water in the bottom.Bake for about 2 hours, without stirring. Be sure to top up the water in the outer pan throughout the cooking process. Uncover, let sit to cool for about 20-25 minutes. Then scrape into a bowl, whisking until smooth and now chill until read to use.
While the filling is cooking in the oven, roll out the pastry disc to about 1/3 inch thick and place in a 9 inch fluted tart pan with removable botttom.
Prick with a fork and chill for half an hour.
Reduce oven to 375 degrees.
Assembly
- 2 large bananas, sliced
- 2 tbsp. white rum
- 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. fleur de sel
- 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
- toasted almonds and chocolate shavings for garnish
Line the pastry disc with foil and fill with dried beans. Set pan on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature now to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes more. Remove the foil and bake a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Mix 1 tsp. vanilla and rum together and toss the banana slices gently to coat. Spread into a single layer on the crust. Now carefully spread the toffee on top, covering the bananas and sprinkle with the fleur de sel.
Whip the cream to soft peaks, add the sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Spread this over the entire pie and garnish with the toasted, sliced almonds. Chill until ready to serve.
This can be made the day ahead but keep refrigerated.
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Very Special Coffee For A Very Special Dessert
Dinner is finished and everyone is sitting at the table, laughing, chatting and you bring in a fabulous dessert. To complement this rich dessert you need a very special coffee.
Perhaps you are a bachelor and want to impress that sweet young thing you just impressed with your culinary skills or ladies…you want to impress that good lookin’ gent across the table or….just want to finish the evening with a spectacular flair. Go for it…this will do it for you.
- 1 tbsp. grated chocolate
- 2 shots brewed espresso (1 1/4 oz. each one)
- 1/4 cup whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- dash of pure vanilla extract
- 2 dashes of white chocolate liqueur (you know what you think is a dash)
Spoon one half of the grated chocolate in the bottom of your 8 oz. serving glass (fancy, heat proof if you have them) or a mug.**
Pour the espresso over the chocolate and stir. Add the sugar and vanilla to the cream while whipping. Add the dash of liqueur and top with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Finish with a sprinkle of grated chocolate.
**You don’t have to add the liqueur if you don’t want it. If you really want to impress, put the mug on a small tray, place a pretty napkin on it, add a long stemmed rose. Am I a romantic or not…..
Now, is this good or what? More than that…it is YUMMY!
Roasted Pears With White Chocolate Drizzle
I am preparing you ahead of the upcoming fruit season with this delicious dessert. Heck, you could even serve it with breakfast…just add a small tsp. of granola. Well?
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tsp. good quality ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- pinch of cloves
- 4 firm pears (such as Bosc), halved and cored
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 oz. white chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a small bowl. Place the pear halves, cut side up in a prepared 9 x 13″ baking dish, sprayed with
Pam. Drizzle the pear halves with melted butter and sprinkle the spice mixture on each half.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes (until pears are tender, not mushy), baste the pears throughout the baking time. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
In a pan bring the cream just to the boil and turn off the heat. Add the white chocolate and stir well with a rubber spatula until melted and smooth.
Place a pear half on each plate. Stir the mixture in the baking dish and spoon over the pears. Sprinkle the nuts and cranberries on each top and drizzle with chocolate.
Oh yeah! This is an easy, elegant “damn I can do this” moment. Add a shortbread cookie and Voila….
A Valentine Quickie – Dessert Addition, That Is.
So, it’s a play on words. No harm done. This can be an addition to dinner OR because it is a very dark chocolate, eaten with a glass of perfect red wine.
- 1 lb. of good quality darkest chocolate (not bitter chocolate)
- whipping cream (1/2 cup)
- healthy sprinkle of sea salt
Chop the chocolate roughly so it will melt faster. Put a couple of inches of water in a saucepan and, using a metal bowl, add the cream. When the cream is warm (as in starting to show teeny bubbles on the edges) add the chocolate. With a rubber spatula, keep turning the chocolate around the bowl as it melts, so it doesn’t burn. When completely melted and smooth, remove from the heat.
Lay out parchment paper on a cookie sheet and pour out the chocolate, spreading it equally over the paper. Sparsely and very lightly, sprinkle some sea salt over the surface.
Now take another sheet of parchment paper and lay it on top. With your hands smooth out any high points in the chocolate. Lift the paper and sprinkle the sea salt over the top. Replace the paper, barely touching , and set in the fridge to harden. (Or outside if it is cold where you are living). This should take a couple of hours. Break up into pieces and voila…salted dark chocolate.
As I said, it is absolutely perfect with a glass of red wine….Pinot Noir, French
Merlot or Sangiovese. Yummmmmmm.
Salted Maple Sauce
Salted maple seems to be the craze….in chocolates, ice cream, baked apples, pots de creme and martinis…oh yeah! Get this ready up to a week before serving.
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup maple sugar
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- pinch of coarse kosher salt
- 5-7 drops of imitation maple extract
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and then add the sugar. Whisk until the sugar completely melts and the liquid becomes thick and boiling, which should take 2-3 minutes.
CAREFULLY, add the whipping cream, whisking as you do so.
Boil this until it becomes thick enough to coat a spoon and has reduced down to 1 cup, whisking often.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt and flavouring. Cool down. Cover and refrigerate. Will keep for a week. If you taste it first, it won’t last an hour….
Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
There is nothing better, I swear, than a bowl of PERFECTLY mashed potatoes on the plate with gravy, steak or poultry. YUM!
- 4 1/2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes (best for mashed potatoes), peeled,
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 cup or more of whipping cream
- 1 1/4 cups of grated parmesan cheese
- Italian parsley – optional
Cut the potatoes in cubes and cook for about 20 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Drain well and put in potato ricer, then put potatoes in bowl of electric mixer, add the cream and cheese and mix well.
Add a pinch of salt and mix in. Taste…..okay, that’s enough! Leave some for the table.
If dining ‘family style’ add a few sprigs of italian parsley.
If plating in the kitchen, use your imagination and make it look really good. After all, we eat with our eyes first, then the stomach.
Potato Mushroom Bake Ahead
This recipe will serve 8 and could be made the day before the dinner.
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut lengthwise into 1/8†slices
- 1 tsp salt plus a pinch for the mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided (plus more if needed)
- 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced very thin
- 1 lb white button mushrooms
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Brush a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with olive oil. Arrange one third of the potatoes in the dish, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with a little of the salt. Pour about one third of the whipping cream over the top and about one quarter of the cheese. Repeat layering as above three more times. Bake uncovered for about forty to forty-five minutes. Adding more cream, if necessary, to keep moist.
Slice mushrooms and toss with remaining oil and layer over the top of the potatoes, around the edges. Drizzle one quarter cup of cream over top of the mushrooms and one-quarter cup of cheese.
Continue to bake another twenty minutes until potato edges are golden.
To make ahead: Make as above. Cool one hour, then cover and place in fridge. Before serving, cut into serving portions, place on a cookie sheet, cover with foil and heat in a 350 degree oven for about fifteen to twenty minutes. For a fancier presentation, use large cookie cutters in any “cut” you want.
This is yummy, yummy, yummy.
Crab Creme Brulee
I was reading a magazine article the other day and it suggested “IF THE RECIPE SOUNDS TOO INVOLVED, DON ‘T DO IT”. Boy is that ever wrong. If I think it could be a challenge, I always say to read it through first
If you don’t try to do something you have never done before, how will you learn? Everything new is a bit challenging the first time, but once under the belt, whooppee! you did it. Hence, the mantra “damn I can do this”.
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp. flour
- 1/2 cup Havarti cheese, diced
- cayenne to taste
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- 2/3 cup well drained crabmeat
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
Preheat your broiler. In a saucepan heat the cream and milk until it starts to steam. Beat the egg yolks for a good 2 minutes and then beat in the flour.
Pour a little warm milk into the egg mixture to temper it and pour it all back into the saucepan. Cook until it becomes thick and coats the back of a spoon.
Add the cheese, and stir until it is all melted. Add the cayenne, salt and pepper and, again, stir into the mix.
In 4 buttered ramekins, divide the avocado and crabmeat equally and be sure to sprinkle the top of this with fresh lemon juice to prevent browning. Pour the cheese mixture on top and now sprinkle the sugar on top.
Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and put under the broiler for about 4 – 4 1/2 minutes. Watch so it doesn’t burn.
You have just upped the ante big time. Different but yummy. Makes a superb appetizer. This can be served warm or hot. Add a fresh dinner roll and, of course, the chilled glass of wine.
On with the rest of the dinner…….
Individual Cinnamon Rolls in Paper
I’m rushing the season just a little..I have had enough of winter. You too? When the weather is warm enough to have breakfast or brunch on the deck, try this one out. Save it for a romantic breakfast for two or when you have guests staying the weekend.
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- pinch each of cloves, nutmeg and allspice
- 1 3/4 cups sifted flour
- 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder, sifted
- 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional) or
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp. melted butter, for brushing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first three items and set aside. Put the sifted flour, baking powder together and add the raisins or nuts (or not) and make a well in the center. Slowly add the milk/cream, stirring until a soft dough forms.
On a lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and knead until it becomes smooth and elastic. Roll this out to approximately 12″ x 14″.
Brush with butter and sprinkle evenly the sugar mixture, reserving a generous tbsp. for later. Roll the dough up, starting on the long side and then cut into 8 pieces.
In a large muffin tin, cut parchment paper to fit and hang up over the top of the pan edge and place a slice in each one. Brush the tops with butter and sprinkle the remaining sugar on top. Bake for about 25-28 minutes until golden in colour.
Serve in individual large “cups”, add a fresh flour on the saucer and present with a piping hot cup of coffee. Ummmm!
Oh, and don’t forget to have fresh butter on the side, just in case. Just sayin’…….
Honey Cream
Now, everyone knows that shortbread is not fattening….right! Well, when you are planning on serving shortbread or a nice butter cookie, make this up to serve with it. It is made with honey (natural sweetner) AND IT IS YUMMY GOOD.
- 1 3/4 cup cold whipping cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup orange blossom or lavender honey
In your electric mixer, beat the whipping cream to stiff peaks and then place in the refrigerator.
Bring the honey to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes. Set aside. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks until they are a pale yellow and super ‘airy’. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the hot honey and keep beating for about 5-6 minutes until it cools to room temperature.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chilled whipped cream. Place in a 5 x 10 inch loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. (Be sure to touch the surface). Freeze for a minimum of two hours.
Bring out the cookies and ice cream bowls. IF there is anything left over, you can always make an ice cream sundae or cone. In a word….Y UM
Roasted Butternut Squash
Not everyone is a lover of squash, but this recipe is a super-duper winner! I absolutely loved this when I had it for the first time and I know you will too.
- 2 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 1 tsp. savory
- generous pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1/3 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- 1/3 cup finely grated asiago cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss the squash with the cream, savory, salt and pepper in a 2 quart shallow baking dish. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes.
Stir in half the cheese and sprinkle the remainder on top. Roast uncovered until the squash is tender and just beginning to brown. This should take about 20 minutes.
Let stand about 5 minutes to allow the cream to thicken and serve with your favourite fish or chicken dinner. Actually, serving it at anytime with anything is good. This is fabulously delicious.
Cream of Tomato Soup
I know you can just go buy a can of soup and then add either water or milk and it’s ready. Try this one and you won’t want to go and just buy it again. It only takes 30-35 minutes to prepare and so worth it.
- 4 cups chicken stocks
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 small onion, chopped fine
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 sprig thyme, leaves only
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup whipping cream
In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, thyme, pepper flakes and bay leaf. Sweat these off without browning any of it.
Add the tomatoes and stock. Bring this to a full boil then reduce the heat and continue cooking for 40 minutes or so. Remove the bay leaf and now, CAREFULLY, puree the contents. When smooth, add the whipping cream. and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Now, for the ‘take 5’ moment, take:
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 1 tbsp. grated lime zest
Whip the cream to stiff peaks, add a dollop on top of each soup serving, and sprinkle some zest over it.
All that is needed is a couple of crackers, glass of chilled white wine and voila!!!! Yummy.
*If you grew too many tomatoes either last year or earlier in the year and froze them. Use them, they make such a difference in pure, fresh flavour.