This special treat features caramelized bananas in whiskey, a toffee sauce, chantilly cream and an almond crumble, all nestled in a phyllo bundle. Our over-the-fence reviewer Judy sent this review this morning: “So visually enticing. Fragrantly attractive. The pastry was crisp and light throughout, even the bottom. The balance of flavors was perfect! A sure A!”
Banoffee Whisky Phyllo Bundles
Phyllo Bundles
12 sheets of phyllo dough, defrosted in fridge overnight or left at room temperature for three hours. Prepare all the other elements of this dessert first, and then make and bake the phyllo bundles. (See instructions under “Assembly.”)
Caramel Sauce
6-1/3 T (90 g) unsalted butter
90 g muscovado sugar (or dark brown sugar in a pinch)
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
5 T (74 ml) heavy cream
Put the butter and sugar into a medium pan and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Bring to the boil and cook to a rich, dark caramel color. Carefully add the vanilla and milk and mix in using a wire whisk. Pour the sauce into a heatproof bowl and leave to cool, then cover and chill for about two hours until thickened.
Banana Filling
2 large (31 g each) “just ripe” bananas
2 T (43 g) honey
2 T (28 g) unsalted butter
2 T (30 ml) whisky (or one of those little mini bottles)
Cut the bananas into thin slices. Combine the sugar and butter in a non-stick frying pan and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until melted and glossy. Add the sliced bananas and cook for a minute, gently tossing the banana in the sticky sauce. Turn up the heat to medium. Carefully pour in the whisky and simmer for a few seconds then remove from the heat. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and leave to cool.
Apricot Glaze for Phyllo Bundles
Gently melt the apricot glaze in a small pan with 1 T water
Chantilly Cream
(200 ml) heavy cream, well chilled
1-1/2 T sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
Crumble Topping
3 almond biscotti crumbled or the equivalent of 1 cup almond cookies of your choice
5 T (70 g) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Put the biscotti and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add the melted butter and blitz until the mixture looks like large cookie crumbs.
Assembly
Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
Phyllo Bundles – Creating the Stacks:
Take out one sheet of the phyllo dough and lay it on a clean surface. Melt 3 T unsalted butter and have a small bowl of sugar at the ready.
Carefully brush the dough with the butter, being careful not to tear it. Sprinkle a little sugar over the top. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top of that and repeat with the butter and sugar. Repeat with a third and fourth layer. It’s not necessary to butter or sugar the top layer.
Set the entire thing on a piece of parchment paper on top of a cutting board. Using a pizza roller, sharp knife, or scissors, cut as many 3” squares as you can from the stacked sheet of phyllo, cutting through the parchment paper as well. Carefully lay each stack (including the parchment) into the wells of a muffin tin.
Continue until you have made 12 phyllo bundles. Return any unused phyllo dough to the freezer, making sure it is wrapped well in plastic wrap first.
Lightly brush the edges of the phyllo pastry, front and back, with the Apricot glaze. Once all the phyllo cups are ready, bake in the preheated oven for about ten minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp. Check after five minutes and rotate the tray if necessary so the pastry bakes evenly. Carefully transfer the cups to a wire rack to cool.
Once the pastries are cool, spoon a little of the caramel sauce into each one, then add a good spoonful of the caramel-coated banana. Spoon some whipped cream on the top and finish with the crumble.
Adapted from a recipe by Tom Gillford, 2016 Great British Baking Show Contestant
