Banoffi Pie - The Original 'Hungry Monk' Recipe

Alas, with the passing of the Hungry Monk into culinary history earlier this year, I will never get to have a Banoffee (Banoffi) Pie made at the source. What I do have, by way of recompense, is access to the original recipe which I shall be making use of.. if only to compare against other creations.

I'm kind of looking at bringing together a number of Banoffee Recipes together under this blog, so it would be a travesty if I was to exclude the inspiration behind so many variations and copies.

So, without further ado, here's the original recipe..

The Original Hungry Monk Banoffi Pie Recipe

Invented at the Hungry Monk in 1972, Banoffi Pie (originally known as Banoffee Pie), is still as popular today as it was the first time it appeared on the menu. There have been many imitations as far and wide as Russia and the United States! Below is the original Banoffi Pie recipe as it first appeared in ‘The Deeper Secrets of the Hungry Monk’ in 1974.

The Original Hungry Monk Banoffi Pie

Ingredients - Banoffi Pie Recipe (to serve 8-10 people) 

• 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 lengthways and lay them on the toffee.
• Finally spoon or pipe on the cream and lightly sprinkle over the freshly ground coffee.

*CAUTION

• It is absolutely vital to top up the pan of boiling water frequently during the cooking of the cans. 3 hours is a long time and if they are allowed to boil dry the cans will explode causing a grave risk to life, limb and kitchen ceilings.

Hint - Banoffi is a marvelous “emergency” pudding once you have the toffee mixture in your store cupboard. We therefore suggest that you boil several cans at the same time as they keep unopened indefinitely.

Banoffee Pie - Student Edition

When I was naught but a poor student, back in the day, with ideas above my station, there came a time for the grown up dinner parties to occur. There were a group of us who would get together and throw a little party for each other. When my time came, the hit of the evening was my Banoffee Pie. It was such a hit that the girls who lived next door demanded, often, that I make this for them and bring it round in exchange for alcoholic favours. Of course.. I obliged.. The fact that I had a thing about one of the girls at the time didn't make this a difficult decision either, so the alcohol was a bonus!

It's an extremely simple recipe that I got from a Student Recipe Book, "Peckish but Poor" by Cas Clarke (now out of print). I actually remade this late last year for a friend, when I rediscovered the book, and it's still a winner, though this time I added whipped cream on top.. well.. I have a job now! :)

Ingredients

• 10oz (250g) butter, melted
• 8oz (200g) ginger biscuits, crumbled
• 16oz (400g) can condensed milk
• 2 bananas, sliced

Method

• Mix 4oz (100g) butter and biscuits together, line a 7" (17cm) flan tin with foil and then press biscuit mixture into base of tin.
• Put rest of butter and condensed milk into a pan, bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes, leave to cool.
• Put half of bananas in flan case.
• When toffee mixture has cooled, beat well and spread over banana.
• Place remaining banana on top and chill.
• Serve with cream.