This week I’ve decided to do a feature on a selection of the easiest recipes I know, so here is a virtually non-cooking one to start with . Okay it’s not fashionable, it’s not pretty and it’s not clever, but I still find it irresistable. There is something about the combination of bananas, cream, chocolate and toffee that still makes me abandon all calorie counting and go slightly sugar crazy. There are prettier, fancier and definitely more clever desserts, but especially now those lovely people who make condensed milk have started to sell it already made in to toffee, you don’t even have to do any cooking unless you want to.
So here it is, banoffee pie for beginners. You will need either a ready made crushed biscuit crumb case or a sweetcrust pastry case (If you want to make it yourself, try using crushed ginger biscuits, it works really well with this recipe), 1 Large tin of Nestles ready-made toffee (OR, if you do want to make it yourself a large tin of condensed milk, placed in a pan of cold water, brought gently to the boil and allowed to simmer for 2 hours, keep topping the water up with boiling water from the kettle. It is VERY important that the can is not pierced and that the water doesn’t boil dry, it is also ESSENTIAL you allow the can to cool down completely before opening it – stick to these rules and you will avoid first-degree burns and a toffee face mask), 500ml/½ pint Double cream, whipped until thick, 3 bananas, 2 tablespoons of Lemon juice, 2 cadbury’s flakes – you can use milk chocolate, white chocolate or both
Method: Spread the toffee evenly over your pie base. Peel and slice the bananas, and coat all over with the lemon juice, then arrange the bananas on top of the toffee. Spread whipped double cream on top of the bananas, crumble up your chocolate flakes and decorate the top of the pud. Keep in the fridge, but I would use within 24 hours, the bananas can go a bit soggy otherwise. the other variation on this is to do 
individual ones, M&S make some brilliant ready-made mini sweetcrust pastry cases that you can use and they do look a bit fancier, especially if you dust them with some edible gold glitter.
The Bombay Boys 
Lovely! I prefer to make my own biscuit base so that I can put loads of butter in it (but this is probably not helpful advice!) – so I LOVE the idea of using ginger biscuits! I will also be making individual ones at the soonest appropriate opportunity – what a cool idea, wouldn’t they look great in little teacups? Also – do you have any opinion as to whether the ready-made cans of toffee are as good as if you boil it up yourself? I’m never sure if it makes a difference.
Tea cups sound great! Why don’t you make them and send me a picture? Actually, the ready-made toffee in the cans is just as good, there is very little difference, so be good to yourself!
OK, even I can do this one (I think!) But I’ll try it the easy way. This is Mark’s favorite desert apparently and we were just talking about it! So great timing! Thanks! Will let you know how it goes!