First Post....Here Goes!

Over the summer I plan to cook something new as many days as possible, and will be sharing all my food and recipes with you on my blog :) I'm new to blogging so please bear with me....if you'd like more information on a recipe or have any tips/hints to share with me, please leave a comment!

First off, Banoffee Pie!

This is a classic pudding, and it's also my parents favourite....so I enjoy making it for their birthdays and special occassions like mothers/father's day. The picture posted above is of a banoffee pie I made for my Dad's birthday, unfortunately the picture doesnt really do it justice, but next time I make one I'll take time to take a photo where you can see all the layers of the pie.

Here's the recipe if you're interested in making it too :)

Crumb Case:

-250g/8oz digestive biscuits

-125g/4oz butter

Filling:

-175g/6oz butter

-175g/6oz caster sugar

-425g can of condensed milk (You can also add up to four tablespoons of syrup with this if you prefer a "gooier" toffee filling

-4 bananas

-1 tbs lemon juice

-300ml whipping cream

-50g dark chocolate, grated

1. Crumb the biscuits in a food processor or place between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper and crush with a rolling pin. (I find its nice not to fully crush the biscuits, as it makes the base crunchier.) Melt the butter in a pan and then stir in the crumbs.

2. Press this mixture evenly over the base and sides of a deep, greased, 20cm/8 inch round flan tin. Chill until firm.

3. Make the filling. Place the butter and sugar in a plan and heat gently, stirring until the butter has melted. (Gently is key here-otherwise the sugar burns and you end up with black burnt sugar in your layer of toffee.) Stir in the condensed milk and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for up to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture becomes thick and a caramel colour. Pour into the base, cool, then chill until set.

4. Here's for the fun bit....slice 3 bananas into thick slices and toss in the lemon juice. Spread these bananas over the filling. Then slice the remaining banana into very thin slices, toss in the lemon juice and put to the side. Whip the cream and spread over the top. Decorate round the edge of the pie with the reserved bananas, and then sprinkle with the grated dark chocolate.

Serves 6-8

Takes about 1 hour to prepare, plus chilling time.

Enjoy!