Bourbon Banoffee Tart

A pool of bourbon caramel studded with sliced bananas in a crisp cocoa crust, topped with clouds of coffee whipped cream. # 260: Bourbon Banoffee Tart

My introduction to banoffee pie wasn’t promising, with Kiera Knightley slandering it in Love Actually. I always assumed it was some combination of banana and toffee with whipped cream on top. Britain and toffee go together in my head for some reason? I’ll have to dig into that one.

But that led me to the question of how could a banana and toffee combo be bad? The popularity of bananas foster proves that bananas and caramel sauces get along just fine. The reality is weirder: the name “banoffee” actually comes from the combination of banana and coffee.

While it’s not an obviously yummy combo, it doesn’t scare me away. First off, it’s an established (even if it’s not popular) pie recipe, implying someone has tried it and liked it enough to make it again! Secondly, bananas have such a mellow flavor and custard-y texture, and they pair so well with chocolate it only makes sense to try pairing them up with chocolate’s flavor bestie, coffee.

My version also includes chocolate because, duh. I did have to actively make sure I didn’t turn this into a chocolate banana cream pie on accident . . . Sometimes while altering recipes, I end up with a dessert that’s just all my favorite things again. I could definitely eat chocolate banana cream pie every day without complaint, but we’re making something new here!

Bananas don’t get the love they deserve in the dessert world outside of banana splits and the forever favorite, banana bread (ahem, we all know it’s really cake). I’m on the fence about banana chips, but they make a lovely garnish!

I linked the full recipe for the chocolate crust at the end, but here’s my shortened version:

90g powdered sugar
230g flour
30g cocoa powder (I used dutch process for that darker, oreo flavor)
Pinch of salt
110g (one cube) unsalted cold butter, cut into chunks
1 egg

Sift together the dry ingredients, then rub the butter in with your hands until it feels like soft sand
Add the egg into the mixture and mix until the dough just comes together
Knead the dough gently for a minute or two, to bring the dough together into a smooth ball
Roll the dough out into 2mm thickness between two baking mats or pieces of parchment paper
Put the dough into whatever shape/size pan you’ll be using, then put it in the freezer for 1 hour
Pre-heat oven to 320F & bake for 20-25 min

I feel badly whenever I sift ingredients without using my cool hand-crank flour sifter . . . but I don’t want to get anything other than flour in it! It’s truly a pain to clean.

Can you imagine if the beach was covered in cocoa sugar sand? Bliss.

So much potential.

Parchment paper works too, but if you have two silpats – they’re perfect!

Transferring the rolled-out dough wasn’t pretty but hey we got there in the end. There were enough extras off the edge to re-roll and line a 4-inch tart tin. Love bonus desserts!

Hello there, fancy pants.

A lot of the banoffee recipes I found called for dulce de leche, but since I already had a plethora of caramels it seemed silly to make something else. I ended up mixing the rest of the Humphrey Slocombe bourbon caramel with the King’s cupboard and it was the perfect amount! The Ginger Elizabeth’s is being saved for whenever we need a spoonful of straight caramel. It’s that good.

Mesmerized by this caramel reflecting pool.

Forecast: sunny with a chance of espresso whipped cream clouds. I added in vanilla, powdered sugar and espresso powder to taste. It took more espresso powder than I thought it would, but hey it’s a lot of cream!

I also added a tiny bit of gelatin so the cream would hold it’s shape better when piped and cut. It’s a vanity thing instead of a taste thing, so definitely leave it out if you don’t have any on hand. If you do add it, remember to soften it in water first, then melt it in the microwave for 3-5 seconds so it’ll mix in smoothly.

So pleasing.

Ruined the pattern, but the more banana the merrier!

Squiggles! I don’t have a large petal piping tip, but I do have a large round piping tip that took a trip down the garbage disposal once so it’s squished in a way that resembles the top of an exclamation point. Work with what you’ve got.