The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook - Dinah Bucholz [23]
To make the Apple Filling, heat the butter in a large skillet until it starts foaming. Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the apples are soft and the juices have evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Scatter the butter pieces on top and rub them into the flour mixture with your fingers until the mixture resembles the consistency of wet sand. Add the chopped pecans and toss to combine.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. On a generously floured surface, roll out the dough very thin. Use a 4-inch cookie cutter to cut out twelve circles. Fit the circles into a 12-cup muffin pan. Fill each pie with a heaping tablespoon of filling. Generously sprinkle the flour and butter mixture on top.
Bake for 40 minutes, rotating the pan midway through baking, until the juices are bubbling over and the tops are browned. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans until cool enough to handle. To remove from the pans, run a knife around the edges to loosen the pies and lift out.
Makes 12 pies
Who invented Banoffi Pie? Nobody really knows. The Hungry Monk Café in Jevington takes credit for this banana and toffee-coffee pie created in the 1970s, but as it was never patented we'll never know for sure. This recipe contains one of the coolest discoveries out there. If you boil a can of condensed milk for a few hours, it turns into a lovely caramel-y goo.
Banoffi Pies
Pie Crust
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into pieces
4–6 tablespoons ice water
Banoffi Filling
1 14-ounce can condensed milk
½ ripe but firm banana, cut into 1/8-inch slices (do not peel and slice until ready to assemble the pies)
Whipped Cream Topping
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon instant coffee
Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture resembles yellow meal without any white powdery bits remaining, about 15 pulses. Turn the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons water over the mixture and toss with a rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time if the dough is dry (better too wet than too dry). Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. On a generously floured surface, roll out the dough 1/8.-inch thick. Cut out six 5-inch circles. Fit the circles into a 6-cup muffin pan. Flute the edges for an attractive finish. Freeze the shells for 15 minutes.
Line the shells with aluminum foil, making sure to cover the edges. Fill with beans or pie weights. Bake until the dough is dry and set, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights, reduce the temperature to 350°F, and bake until the shells are browned, another 8 minutes. Remove the shells from the oven and allow to cool.
Place the can of condensed milk in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil for three hours, checking frequently to refill the pot if the water level drops. If the water level drops too low, the can may explode. Turn off the heat. When the can is cool enough to handle, remove it from the pot and chill in the refrigerator until cold.
To prepare the whipped cream, whisk together 4. the cream, confectioners' sugar, and coffee in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form.
To assemble the pies, lay two banana slices in the bottom of