Banana Toffee Cream Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir until fully incorporated and sandy. (When you pinch a bit of it between your fingers, it should hold together.) Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Using your fingers or a flat-bottomed cup, press the mixture into the pie plate and up the sides. Make sure it is well packed. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days.
• Spoon the dulce de leche into the pie crust and spread into an even layer. Pile in banana slices into a relatively even layer (they should overlap). Transfer the pie to the refrigerator while you make the whipped cream.
• Make the whipped cream: Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract and instant coffee, if using, on medium-high speed until firm peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread the whipped cream on top of the bananas, making sure to spread the whipped cream to the edge, totally covering the bananas (this will help prevent them from browning). Chill the pie, uncovered, for 2 hours and up to overnight.
• To serve, sprinkle the pie with chocolate shavings or fresh coffee grounds, if desired. Store leftover pie in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. The whipped cream may lose some height, but the pie will be no less delicious.

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners.
• Combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg and banana puree. Cream for an additional 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, and then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix for 30 seconds on low speed. Add the toffee bits and buttermilk. Stir on low speed until combined.
• Fill the prepared cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter and bake until golden brown and baked through, about 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• For the filling: Stir the dulce de leche and toffee bits together until fully combined. Place in a pastry bag with a round tip large enough to allow the toffee bits to pass through without becoming lodged.
• For the icing: In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and mix on medium-high speed until well combined and lump free. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl and add the powdered sugar. Stir on low speed until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Remove from the mixer and stir in the dulce de leche in by hand to create a marbled appearance. Place in a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip.
• To assemble: Using an apple corer, remove the center core of the cupcakes and fill with dulce de leche toffee filling. Pipe the caramel cream cheese icing generously on top of each cupcake. Using a paring knife, gently poke the freeze-dried ice cream to create separated chunks. Place 4 chunks on top of each cupcake. Dredge the outer rim of each cupcake in the miniature chocolate chips.

Steps:

• Toss the bananas in 2 tbsp of the sugar. Heat a griddle to medium, then cook the bananas, a few pieces at a time, until sticky and showing griddle marks. Keep warm in a low oven.
• For the sauce, put the remaining sugar, the butter and cream into a saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has melted. Stir in the sesame seeds. Can be made up to a day ahead. To serve, put a few pieces of banana into 8 serving dishes, spoon over some of the caramel, then top with a scoop of ice cream.