I've taken my good old time to share this with you...
Well, the thought came to me one sublimely ordinary afternoon. There I was, making a wee cup of tea and a little 'something' to keep my pedal foot peddling and that presser-foot pressing (sweat-shop talk). I figured a couple of wee digestives with banana-on-top would be just the right kinda old-school treat.
[CUE eerie strings] So, I took a McVitie's from the tin, un-peeled a banana and just as I reached for the butter dish, a terrible notion came over me. As if guided by some inner demon I opened the fridge door and drifted towards it's chilly glow. My hand reach out for the jar of Bonne Maman Confiture de Caramel! [CUE duh duh duhh!] I tried. I tried with all my strength to put it back. "No!" I said "Get tae Waitrose - I don't need you - I can live without you!" But I was in it's clutches - it had me and pretty soon, I had the double cream. And lo the lazy-girls-banoffee-travel-pie was born!!!
So easy it makes me wonder why anyone went to the effort of making an actual PIE pie at all? A couple of digestives spread with caramel (you don't need me to tell you how thick to spread it now do you?), a few slices of banana and a blanket of lightly whipped double cream. Ta. Da. On my first attempt, I just poured the cream on. That went everywhere. So, for purely technical reasons - I'd whip it a little.
To be honest, I hadn't thought much of the good mother's caramel goo until then. I actually bought it for the jar (I have an, aherm, collection). It's pants on toast (don't waste your time) but redeemed itself when I plastered it on some left over puff pastry, layered a thinly sliced apple, scattered on a handful of raisins, a dusting of cinnamon and laid a straggly lattice of pastry trimmings over the top. Oh and baked it. That was rather good.
The secret, I think is to add Bonne Maman Confiture de Caramel to something slightly sweet already (croissants, brioche mibby?) as although it is richly caramel-y it's actually not TOO sweet. I wonder what the French would do? Dear reader - I intend to find out!
