h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Could I add a recipe for Banoffi Pie here? No doubt there's one on H2G2 somewhere already, but this one's a real treat.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 405g tins condensed milk
680g firm bananas
3/4 pint double cream
1/2 teaspoon powdered instant coffee
1 dessertspoon caster sugar
a little fresh ground coffee
Shortcrust pastry (see end of recipe for recommendations)

Step 1.
Immerse UNOPENED cans of condensed milk in a deep pan of boiling water. Cover and boil for three hours (five hours if you are boiling three or more cans). Ensure that the pan does not boil dry or the cans will explode. Very messy.

Step 2.
Grease a 10in flan tin. Line with pastry. Prick the base with a fork and bake blind (190C/375F) till crisp. Allow to cool.

Step 3.
Remove the cans from the water and allow to cool completely before pouring out the soft toffee filling. Spread the toffee over the base of the flan.

Step 4.
Whip the cream with the instant coffee and sugar until thick and smooth.

Step 5.
Peel and halve the bananas lengthways and lay them on top of the toffee.

Step 6.
Finally, spoon or pipe on the cream and lightly sprinkle with the freshly ground coffee. Serves eight to ten (or one in some cases).

Sweet rich shortcrust pastry.

Ingredients:

225g plain flour
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons caster sugar
175g butter
1 medium egg YOLK
2 teaspoons cold water

(This is very easy to make in a kitchen mixer.)

Step 1.
Mix flour, salt and sugar.

Step 2.
Add the butter in small pieces.

Step 3.
Mix to the consistency of small breadcrumbs.

Step 4.
Add egg YOLK and water and mix to pastry consistency.

Step 5.
Cool for 1/2hr in fridge before use.

Yumm.... this looks really good! If I get the chance to make this, what is caster sugar? Powdered sugar?

Hi,

The white sugar U.S. citizens consider generic is termed caster sugar in Britain because our ordinary (granulated) stuff is much coarser in texture. So, just normal white sugar will be fine. Hope you do try it.

Some British and their-former-empire recipes that call for caster sugar really do need a kind of sugar that is called Superfine here in the US. I have also learned the hard way that using Superfine in 'ordinary' recipes is a little problematic, as more of it fits in the same measuring-space. (incidentally, the hummingbirds in my garden like their sugar water better when made with this stuff) Don't be tempted to substitute our powdered sugar, which has cornstarch in it and usually doesn't work.

It used to be very difficult to come across, but you can now find it in a supermarket if you hunt for it. It tends to turn itself (more readily than US regular sugar) into one large sugarcube if you don't keep it very dry.

I make this too, but instead of using coffee or a shortcrust pastry, I make a chocolate biscuit base and sprinkle the top with chocolate shavings. The base can be made with 1 medium packet digestive/granola biscuits or another sort of dryish biscuit and dark chocolate. First make a chocolate sauce by melting about 200g dark chocolate over water (bain marie) with a small piece of butter (prevents chocolate going hard). When melted, stir in some cream (or uncooked condensed milk)until the chocolate looks really glossy. Crush the biscuits into small pieces and stir in the chocolate. Use this to coat the biscuit pieces, then press the mixture into a greased flan dish. To form a nice level base, use the back of a warmed spoon (dip into hot water), or cover with clingfilm and push it into place with fingers. Allow to set in the fridge a little before pouring in the toffee, then add bananas and grated chocolate just before serving. YUM!!
FF