LORNA’S BANOFFEE PIE

SERVES 8 PREPARATION: 30 MIN COOKING: ABOUT 30 MIN (CARAMEL); 20 MIN (MERINGUE)

CRUST

• 500ml (2c) crumbed digestive or Tennis biscuits

• 100ml melted butter

FILLING

• 180ml (¾c) melted butter

• 125ml (½c) muscovado light brown sugar

• 750ml (3c) condensed milk

MERINGUE

• 225g castor sugar

• 100ml water

• whites of 4 eggs

• 60ml (¼c) lemon juice

TO ASSEMBLE

• 4 bananas, sliced widthways

• store-bought caramel sauce to decorate

Grease a fluted tart tin or eight tartlet tins well.

1 Crust Mix the biscuit crumbs and melted butter and press firmly into the tin(s). Chill in the fridge until set.

2 Filling Add the butter and sugar to a saucepan and melt on a low heat for a few minutes. Add the condensed milk and stir continuously until the sauce has thickened and darkened. If you stop stirring, the sauce can easily stick to the bottom of the pan, burn and go lumpy. When the caramel is ready, pour it into a bowl and allow to cool.

3 Meringue Combine the castor sugar and water in a small pot and bring to the boil over mediumhigh heat. As soon as it boils and the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and insert a sugar thermometer into the pot. Remove from the heat as soon as the mixture reaches 110°C.

4 While the sugar mixture is cooking, beat the egg whites and lemon juice together with an electric mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form.

5 When the sugar mixture reaches 110°C, drizzle it into the egg whites while the mixer is running. Increase the speed and continue to beat until stiff.

6 To assemble Pour the caramel filling over the tart crust(s) and top with the meringue mixture.

7 Lightly skim over the meringue with a blowtorch to get a beautiful brown colour. Then add the sliced bananas and finish off with a drizzle of store-bought caramel sauce.