This gorgeous Banana Toffee Tart is the love child of banoffee pie and a cheesecake. I like to think it has inherited the best features from both sides of the family.
Ingredients
Base
- 125g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- 300g spiced speculaas biscuits (cookies) (see note)
- 180g good-quality dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), chopped and melted
Filling
- 250ml (1 cup) thin (pouring) cream
- 250g mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- 5 large firm, ripe bananas
Chocolate ganache topping
- 50g good-quality dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), chopped
- 2 tablespoons thin (pouring) cream
Toffee pecan topping
- 165g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
- 125ml (1/2 cup) water
- 50g (1/2 cup) pecans
Read: Crispy Ginger Beer Prawns
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 25cm loose-based round fluted tart (flan) tin and line the base with baking paper.
To make the base
Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix together until combined. Press the biscuit mixture evenly over the base and up the side of the tin, ensuring it is solid.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin. Spread the melted chocolate over the base and side of the cooled tart case. Refrigerate the tart case until the chocolate has completely chilled.
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When ready to fill, carefully remove the case from the tart tin, peel off the baking paper and place it on a serving plate.
To make the filling
Beat the cream, mascarpone, honey and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until lightly combined and is the consistency of whipped cream. Do not overmix. Spread the filling over the chocolate biscuit base.
Cut the bananas into 1.5cm thick rounds and push them into the cream mixture to completely cover. Pop in the fridge until ready to top.
To make the chocolate ganache topping
Melt the chocolate and cream over a double boiler (or on a gentle heat in the microwave) until well combined and smooth, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
To make the toffee pecan topping
Put the sugar and water in a small, heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil over low heat. Gently stir until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to high and, once boiling, continue to cook, without stirring, for five minutes.
Read: Ham, Cheese and Pea Frittata
Brush down the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to dissolve any sugar crystals. When it turns a golden toffee colour, it’s ready. Don’t be tempted to taste or touch the caramel at any point — it is very hot and will burn. Remove from the heat immediately, allow the bubbles to settle, then add the pecans and pour the mixture onto a tray lined with baking paper to cool and harden.
Chop the hardened praline to a chunky consistency.
To top the tart
Drizzle two-thirds of the ganache topping over the banana cream filling, top with the toffee pecans, then drizzle the remaining ganache over the top.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Note: You can also use any plain sweet biscuits for this base, just as you would for a cheesecake. Just add a pinch of cinnamon to spice things up!
Recipes and Images from Eat In by Anna Gare.
