SPRING is here! I must admit, I am more than a little sad that the cooler months are once again over (& boy didn’t they fly by!) But, I am so excited for new seasonal produce & sharing new spring time recipes with you all. & what better way to kick off a new season than with a wonderfully easy & delicious banoffee pie!

Serves 6-8

For the crust:

256g Oreos

115g Unsalted butter, melted & cooled slightly

A pinch of salt

For the filling:

397g Sweetened condenced milk

2 Ripe bananas

For the topping:

300ml thickened cream

125g Mascarpone cheese

1 Tablespoon icing sugar

1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract

20 Dark chocolate

Method:

Add oreos to a food processor & blitz into a fine crumb.

Add in melted butter & salt & blitz until you have a mixture resembling wet sand, scraping the bowl down as needed.

Press oreo mixture evenly into loose base 24cm quiche pan.

Make sure to press firmly & up the sides of the tin.

Chill base in fridge until needed.

To make the caramel, fill a large pot with water.

Remove paper label from sweetened condensed milk tin, & add tin to water with the pull-ring facing down.

Set stove to high & bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer & cook caramel for 3 hours, checking periodically to top up the water level if needed. The water should cover the top of the tin at all times during cooking.

Remove tin from boiling water & set aside to cool completely.

Once the caramel has cooled to room tempreature, spoon the caramel from the tin & add to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the paddleattatment fitted.

Whip on medium-high for 1-2 minutes until the caramel becomes light & fluffy.

Add the caramel to the oreo base, smooth into all the nooks & crannies of the pie, ensuring an even layer.

Slice bananas into 1-2cm slices & arrange on top of caramel layer.

Pour the cream, mascarpone & vanilla into a clean mixing bowl of a stand mixer.

Sift in the icing sugar.

Using either the whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer, whip the cream until it comes light & fluffy, scraping the bowl down as needed. Don’t over whip!

Top the pie with the whipped cream & shaved chocolate.

Serve & enjoy!