Banoffee Pie!

Banoffee pie is one of my favourite puddings! It's quick and simple to make, has bananas in so must be one of my five a day, and is loved by nearly everyone (except banana phobes!). This recipe is originally Julie Ann's with a few adapations of my own, so I hope she doesn't mind me sharing it.

Julie Ann's/Yummy Mummy's Banoffee Pie

7oz/175 digestive biscuits, whizzed to fine crumbs (if you like a good thick biscuity base and sides on your pie then make half again, or even double this),

4oz/100g Stork, (if you have altered the amount of biscuits you use, make sure you do the same to the amount of Stork)

1 can of Carnation Caramel (if you want to make the toffee from scratch I have put two ways of doing this at the bottom, since this came about though I have never made my own for a banoffee pie),

3 large bananas,

1/2 pint of whipping cream.

1. Whizz the digestive biscuits to fine crumbs. Melt the margarine in a saucepan over a low heat and stir in the digestive biscuits.

2. Press this mixture into a greased tin, on the bottom and up the sides if you wish. Leave to cool in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

3. Whip the cream until thick and spreadable.

4. Chop the bananas into coin shapes and place evenly on top of your biscuit base.

5. Cover with the caramel, using a spoon to dollop it on and a knife to spread it. I find this stops it moving the bananas about too much. 

6. Cover with whipped cream and decorate as you like, I used a square of dark chocolate and a peeler to make tiny chocolate curls.

7. Keep refrigerated until ready to be devoured!!

If you want to make your own caramel there are 2 ways to do this that I know of:

1. Place a tin of condensed milk in a large pan of boiling water. Simmer for 2 hours making sure the pan never 'goes dry' and that the can is always under water. Leave to cool completely, you need to do this the day before really. I can't stress enough how much you must keep an eye on it as if it boils dry the can could explode which will ruin your kitchen and if it gets onto you or someone else cause serious burns! I have personally never done it this way but this is a very traditional way of doing it.

2. Empty a tin of condensed milk, 4oz/100g Stork and 2oz/50g of soft brown sugar into a saucepan. Put on a VERY low heat and stir all the time until it thickens. Add a few drops of vanilla essence and then leave to cool. This is how I make caramel for Millionaire's shortbread as it is a bit thicker and sets a bit more.

xxx

Orange and lavender cake

Yesterday we spent a lovely family day out at Petworth House and Park. When we stopped to refuel we shared a piece of delicious Orange and Lavender Cake. Of course, I came home and decided I needed to bake my own version of this so have been busy in the kitchen! This is my recipe for an Orange and Lavender Cake. I was really pleased with this for a proper teatime cake, my only change would be to make it even more lavendery next time, but that may not be to everyone's taste!

Yummy Mummy's Orange and Lavender Cake

Cake mix:
8oz/200g self raising flour,
5oz/125g lavender sugar (you can see here on my blog how to make your own or you can buy it:
http://yummymummy2012.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/lavenders-blue-dilly-dilly.html)
5oz/125g Stork,
1 tsp baking powder,
2 large eggs,
Zest of 2 oranges (I used big Navel oranges),
Juice of 1 orange. 

Orange/lavender syrup:
Juice of 1 orange,
3tbsps of lavender sugar.

Icing:
1 mug of icing sugar,
Hot water (you could also make it up with orange juice from another orange),
Food colouring (I went for a lavender colour but pale orange or white would also look lovely),
2tbsp purple decorating sugar,
2tsp lavender sugar.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4.
2. Mix together the self raising flour, lavender sugar, Stork, eggs and baking powder (the mixture will be quite dry at the moment).
3. Grate the zest into the mixture and add the orange juice and mix quickly.

4. Grease a large round cake tin (I used a loose bottomed tin) and spoon the mixture in, it should come up just above half way.
5. Bake in the oven for
6. When the cake is nearly ready make the orange/lavender syrup by heating the orange juice gently (or cheat and stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds like I did), then stirring in the lavender sugar until it completely dissolves. Make sure you try a big spoonful of this, it is to die for!!

6. Remove from the oven and using a cocktail stick prick small, but deep, holes all over the top of the cake. Gently drizzle over the orange and lavender syrup mixture and leave the cake in the tin until completely cool. 

7. Remove from the tin and mix up the icing, spread on top and decorate with some extra lavender sugar (including petals) and purple sugar.

Hope you enjoy baking this cake and enjoying it in the garden in the sunshine, with a cup of tea!

xxxx