Banana and Whisky Pie

. March, 2016
Banana and Whisky Pie

Boozy caramel fruit, flaky pastry and creamy smooth filling: this recipe from Phoebe Wood and Kirsten Jenkins' new book The Pie Project is a super-simple dessert.

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

2 sheets frozen butter puff pastry (total weight 330 grams, thawed, and if needed, rolled to a thickness of 2mm)
500 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
180 grams caster sugar
2 tablespoons whisky
3 bananas, peeled and halved lengthways
3 tablespoons chopped roasted hazelnuts, to serve

20cm pie dish

This recipe takes a couple of separate elements and brings them effortlessly together to produce a great result. Feel free to cut the bananas anyway you like and substitute pineapple slices for the banana for another tropical version.

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the puff pastry sheets on top of each other in a 20cm pie dish and trim the edges leaving a 2cm overhang. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beads (or uncooked rice or dried beans) and bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are puffed and golden. Remove the paper and baking beads. Using a fork, prick the base to release any air, then bake for a further 5 minutes or until the base is golden and dry to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.

Mix the cream cheese, vanilla and 40 grams of the sugar in a food processor until smooth. 

Heat the remaining sugar with 2 tablespoons of water in a frying pan over medium–high heat for 5 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, or until it forms a golden caramel. Tipping the pan away from you, add the whisky, swirling to combine. Carefully add the bananas, cut side down, and cook for 3 minutes until they are a dark golden colour. Turn over the bananas and remove from the heat.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the pastry base, then top with the bananas, extra caramel from the pan and the hazelnuts.