All I Want For Christmas: Pie and Love Actually!

Two best parts of the holiday season: unlimited sweets and the movie Love Actually. I really love both so much I have no problem indulging in either of them all year long.

For over a month, Lauren and I have been plotting to make Banoffee Pie and watch Love Actually before we leave for the holiday. If your an avid viewer of this film you may remember Keira Knightly showing up at best man Mark's flat giving him a peace offering of Banoffee Pie.

Lauren and I have always been curious at to what kind of pie that is. Bless Lauren's heart, she googled it and has been making this crowd pleaser
ever since!



Ban-offee Pie (Banana, Coffee, and Toffee)
serves 8-10
(from the Hungry Monk in Sussex England)

12 ounces uncooked shortcrust pastry
1.5 tins condensed milk (13.5 ounces each)
1.5 pounds firm bananas
375ml of double cream
Half a teaspoon powdered instant coffee
1 dessertspoon caster sugar
A little freshly ground coffee

Preparation
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 (400F, ). Lightly grease a 10in x 1.5in flan tin. Line this with the pastry thinly rolled out. Prick the base all over with a fork and bake blind until crisp. Allow to cool.

The secret of this delicious pudding lies in the condensed milk.
Immerse the cans unopened in a deep pan of boiling water. Cover and boil for 3 hours making sure that the pan does not boil dry *(see CAUTION).

Remove the tin from the water and allow to cool completely before opening. Inside you will find the soft toffee filling.

Method

Whip the cream with the instant coffee and sugar until thick and smooth. Now spread the toffee over the base of the flan. Peel and halve the bananas length ways and lay them on the toffee. Finally spoon or pipe on the cream and lightly sprinkle over the freshly ground coffee.


Bon Appetit! We skipped hot chocolate and went straight to chocolate milk.
It was 70 degrees in TX yesterday!


Sweet Gift from Lauren: wine bottle canvas tote from Maptote!
Love Love Love it!

She got me my hometown bag, Philadelphia.

Holiday song of the week:
"All I Want For Christmas Is You"!