Banoffee + Rock Band = Warm Fuzzies

This is a seriously effective formula.

What in the world is BANOFFEE, you ask??

Allow me to change your life!

Last weekend we had some friends over for dessert after hearing the shocking news that they had never experienced banoffee. If this word doesn't make sense to you, just smush the words "banana" and "toffee" together and imagine the magic of that union.

Matt and I learned about this delectable dessert about a year ago in Arizona when we went out to eat at a British pub/restaurant called "The Cornish Pasty". (A pasty is kind of like a calzone, but better!) Their featured dessert is banoffee pie, which originated in a British pub. I wasn't too excited to try it because my usual dessert motto is: If it's not chocolate, it's not worth it. However, this one is a true exception. The combination of homemade caramel sauce, buttery graham cracker crust, and fresh ripe bananas topped with real whipped cream is positively sinful! And double bonus: it's ridiculously easy to whip up! (Depending on how "homemade" you want to go.)

After looking through a bunch of recipes and not really finding one that matched our vision, here's the recipe we came up with:

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed graham crackers (about 14 big crackers?)

2-3 tablespoons sugar

1 stick of butter, melted

a bunch of ripe bananas, sliced

8 oz. heavy cream for whipping

about 2 cups homemade caramel sauce (We used the "buttermilk syrup" recipe from OurBestBites.com, just thickened it a little more.)

**All these amounts depend on your preferences and how many people you are feeding. We did a build-it-yourself bar and doubled everything for 10 adults, and still had plenty of extra. This recipe would probably feed 5-6 people.

CRUST ~ Crush up graham crackers in a sealed zip-top back. This is really fun for the kids to help with. When it resembles coarse crumbs, pour graham into 9"x13" pan. Mix in the sugar. Pour the melted butter on top and mix until all the crumbs are moist. Then press down evenly in the pan and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

This step is just to toast the graham so it's nice and crispy. If you want to cut calories you can just use plain old graham cracker crumbs without any baking. It still tastes good...just not ASgood.

CARAMEL SAUCE ~ While the crust is baking, you can get started on the caramel sauce. Like I said, we used the "buttermilk syrup" recipe from Ourbestbites.com because it is much more like caramel than syrup. And it's really quick and easy to make. Check out the link. Otherwise, just pop open and heat a jar of your favorite caramel ice cream topping from the store.

WHIP ~ Pour the heavy cream in your mixer bowl and beat it for a few minutes until it thickens into the consistency of a whipped topping. If you want it to be a little sweeter, add a couple teaspoons of powdered sugar and a little vanilla extract. Again, I'm sure pre-made whipped cream from a can would work too, I'm just not a fan.

ASSEMBLY for individual servings ~ Take a bowl, dump in some graham cracker crust, layer bananas on top, then pour desired amount of caramel over all. Top with whipped cream (and a few more graham cracker crumbs or even Heath bar chunks if you want it to look fancy).

Lots of people do this layering in a pie plate and then chill it like a pie, but I figure if you do it assembly-line-fashion, everyone can create their own perfect ratio of crust to bananas to caramel. What I love about this dessert is that it is SO quick and easy to make. You only need a few ingredients on hand and it can be assembled in time to calm your craving. Especially if you make a lot of the caramel and keep it in your fridge.

Now enjoy, and feel good about yourself because half of this dessert is fruit! Just make sure you're in a comfortable chair when you sit down to eat, because you'll probably want to scarf enough to put you in a sugar coma for the night.

I'm pretty sure our friends loved the banoffee too, since this post is partially in response to requests for the recipe. Nothing like sharing a great dessert and a hard-core Rock Band jam session to make you appreciate good friends. It was a fun night.

There are so many things I love about this picture:

1. Vanessa's hard core rocker face, pouty lips and zoned-in expression unaffected by the cute little crazed fan trying to climb up her arm. She was rockin' that bass!

2. Lincoln's face, totally in character, probably straining to hit a high note perfectly, while his left hand throws out gang-like signs to emphasize the lyrics. He's a natural rock star!

3. Adorable little Brooklyn sitting behind her daddy taking a picture of the TV. She was our little photographer all night. I think she captured every last inch of our apartment, including the nastiness of our garbage can.

4. Matt sitting tight in "ready position" with his drum sticks, waiting for his moment of glory.

5. Sam biting his lower lip in deep concentration and determination. He's the only one of us who actually has been in a rock band. He's got crazy skills. That kind of reputation adds pressure to the task of performing in a music video game, so I can understand the intensity.

6. Joshua sitting in the middle of everything, yet not giving a hoot about any of it. It's kind of nice when he enters his own little world like that.

Too bad I wasn't in the picture to be made fun of. I guess that's my reward for taking the pictures and sitting out for a while. (...Matt!)

***Note: I did NOT take the beautiful photos of the food above. Found 'em online. Sorry if that's cheating.