Cinema snacks: recreating recipes from the silver screen
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thank you
A warm welcome to this festive feelgood special of our series ‘Snack to the Future’, where we show you how to recreate recipes from the silver screen, so you can eat your way through the movies, munching along with your favourite characters. This holiday season, we’re celebrating Kiera Knightley’s self proclaimed terrible taste in pies and indulging in the quintessentially British chrimbo classic LOVE ACTUALLY.
A no bake delight invented in England in the 1970s, Banoffee Pie is both fun to say and fun to eat! This decadent dessert is a portmanteau of banana and toffee. So, it’s safe to say that the toffee, or rather caramel, is pretty crucial. You can go down many routes for the “offee” part of this sugary offering, the quickest and easiest option is to use a pre-made caramel such as these from Carnation or Bonne Maman. This option is on the more spenny side but a good quick fix that removes the most timely step of this dessert's creation.
American recipes tend to call for a homemade dolce de leche. A delicious concoction borrowed from Latin America and made from boiling down condensed milk for hours until you have a rich deep and spreadable caramel. It’s delicious, it’s decadent, it works perfectly but... it takes AGES.
As we’re on the rainy side of the pond and in the home of the Banoffee pie, we’re going to be purists and stick to the Mary Berry route of creating a quick caramel stove top with condensed milk, butter and sugar. Mother Mary says that this is preferable as it sets up firmer than the store bought variety and frankly, who am I to go against our Queen; they call it treason for a reason.
You’ve probably figured out by now that I love me some salt in my sweet, so I’m spiking my concoction with a little savoury, for a salted caramel moment. This is totally optional and you can just skip the salt if you prefer.
This is a perfect dinner party dessert as it can mostly be prepared in advance. You can make both the biscuit base and the caramel the day before, and then simply add the sliced bananas and whipped cream just before serving.
You can find the written recipe below, but if you haven’t watched the episode yet, be sure to check it out over on our YouTube channel. This recipe is the perfect simple but decadent dessert to enjoy with your nearest and dearest this Christmas and show them that…
Love actually is all around us.
GO TO:
BANOFFEE PIE
Features at 49 mins & 20 seconds of Love Actually
INGREDIENTS
BASE
250g Digestive biscuits
150g Unsalted butter (melted)
CARAMEL
397G tin of condensed milk
100g dark brown Sugar
100g unsalted butter
1 tsp kosher salt
TO SERVE
2 bananas
300ml Double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Dusting of cocoa powder or grating of chocolate
METHOD
BASE
In a food processor, blitz the biscuits to a fine crumb. If you don’t have a food processor, place the biscuits into a sealed sandwich bag and break them up with a rolling pin.
Add the melted butter into the biscuits and thoroughly mix until fully combined. All of the biscuit should be coated in butter with no dry pieces remaining.
Press into a 9 in loose bottomed tart tin using the back of a spoon or the end of a rolling pin. The biscuit should be very tightly packed and evenly distributed.
Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
CARAMEL
Melt the butter on a low heat, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Cook on a low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the two are fully combined, with a treacle like consistency.
Add the condensed milk and increase the heat to bring to a simmer. Cook for 3-4 mins, stirring constantly until it thickens slightly and you achieve a rich caramel colour.
Remove from the heat, add the salt and stir to combine (skip this step if you don’t fancy a salted caramel)
Pour the sauce over the chilled biscuit base and return to the fridge to set up for a minimum of an hour.
TO SERVE
Slice the banana into 1cm thick rounds and place in an even layer on top of the chilled, set caramel.
Whip the double cream and vanilla to soft peaks and pipe or spoon over the bananas.
Top with grated chocolate or a dusting of cocoa powder.
Chill until ready to serve.
Pie Wish You A Merry Christmas Bite Clubbers!
