Banoffee Pie

It's not like I need an excuse to make pie. I'm a pregnant dessert-loving woman and pie is my favorite kind of pie. But this Saturday is Pi Day! It is so called because the date, March 14 or 3.14, is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. If you haven't celebrated Pi Day before, there's never been a better time to start;  this year's date (3/14/15) matches up with the first four numbers that follow the decimal point — 3.1415. There are lots of ways to celebrate Pi Day, most of them are fairly nerdy, but the most delicious way is by making a pie, such as the delectable Banoffee Pie pictured above. If you've never had Banoffee Pie before you MUST try it; the combination of dulce de leche, bananas, whipped cream, and chocolate is truly transcendental, just like Pi (that was a math joke, guys!).

Banoffee Pie

Ingredients:

For the Graham Cracker Crust:
9 graham crackers, pulverized into crumbs (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm

For the Filling:
3 bananas, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
14 ounces, dulce de leche (either buy pre-made or make your own)

For the Whipped Cream:
1½ cups heavy cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:
Shaved chocolate

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

To make the crust, mix together the graham cracker crumbs and the granulated sugar in a medium bowl or a food processor. While mixing continuously, slowly drizzle the melted butter into the graham cracker and sugar mixture. The final product should look like wet sand. Evenly press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate or tart pan. Bake the crust until it is fragrant and beginning to brown, 15 to 18 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

Arrange the sliced bananas on the crust.

Then spread the dulce de leche over top of the bananas.

Using an electric mixer, whip the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until barely stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the filling and garnish with shaved chocolate.

Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

I made my own dulce de leche ahead of time by heating a can of sweetened condensed milk in a simmering pot of water for several hours. If you follow my example, you can refrigerate your can of dulce de leche indefinitely; when you are ready to use it just remove from the can and reheat in a double broiler until it achieves a spreadable or drizzle-able consistency. Happy Pi Day!