Banoffee Pie — No-Bake Pie with Bananas, Dulce de Leche and Whipped Cream

Line the bottom of a springform pan 22 cm in diameter and at least 5 cm high with a round of parchment paper; do not grease the sides. Process the cookies in a food processor into fine, even crumbs without large pieces. Transfer everything to a bowl, scraping in the small crumbs from the processor as well.

Melt all 100 g of butter in a small saucepan over low heat for about 3–5 minutes, stirring, just until liquid; do not brown it. Remove from the heat, pour into the crumbs and mix thoroughly with a spoon, scraping the butter from the saucepan. The mixture should resemble damp sand and hold together when squeezed.

Transfer all the mixture to the springform pan. Use the bottom of a glass and the back of a spoon to press it evenly over the bottom and up the sides, making a base about 5 mm thick and a rim about 3 cm high; take particular care to join the base and rim firmly. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until the crust is cold and firm and the crumbs do not shift when touched lightly.

Briefly stir the measured 350 g of dulce de leche with a spoon, just to make its consistency even; do not thin it and do not heat it. Spoon it onto the chilled crust in several places, then gently spread it right up to the cookie rim. Use all the dulce de leche, scraping it from the bowl; the layer should be even, with no exposed areas of crust.

Peel the bananas just before arranging them, discard the peels and weigh out 350 g of flesh. Cut into slices about 5 mm thick and arrange over the dulce de leche in two layers, with the slices slightly overlapping. Distribute all the bananas evenly, without a high mound in the center.

Pour the cold 300 g of cream into a bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed for about 2–4 minutes. Stop the mixer when the cream is thick and smooth, the beater marks remain visible and the peaks bend softly at their tips when lifted. Do not beat until grainy and do not add sugar.

Spoon all the whipped cream over the bananas, scraping it from the bowl, and gently spread it to the rim to cover all the fruit. Make soft swirls with a spoon without pressing hard on the filling, then sprinkle with all the finely grated chocolate. Refrigerate the pie for about 2 hours so the crust firms up and the layers become thoroughly chilled; the cream will remain soft and will not set into a stiff filling.

Take the pie out of the refrigerator just before serving. Carefully unclip and remove the ring; if the crust has stuck to it in places, release it with a thin knife without pulling it away by force. Place the pie, still on the pan base, on a cake stand and cut into 8 slices with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Lift the slices with a wide spatula, leaving the parchment on the base, and serve chilled.