Writing Tips Oasis

Feasting on Romantic Comedy – Banoffee Pie from Babyville by Jane Green

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This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.

P1130298“We dipped into dips and exchanged our stories. Shared our secrets. Laughed over linguine and bonded over banoffee pie.”

Sometimes you meet another person that you just click with. I'm not talking lover, boyfriend or future husband here. I'm talking friend. A friend you know is going to be come one of your great friends.

This is what happened to Maeve and Stella in Babyville by Jane Green. Maeve instinctively knew Stella was her kind of woman. As Maeve's private life explodes, her gut feelings were proved correct. Stella was there for her and Maeve loves the warmth and intimacy you gain from a good friend. 

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Maeve and Stella haven’t had this female warmth in their life for a while, if ever, because they’ve both been busy with their careers. The closeness of sharing a banoffee pie with Stella reveals how much the two like each other. 

You don’t share a desert with just anyone. This simple act of bonding, this simple act of scraping out the toffee and banana together, not worrying if your spoons collide, says so much about a relationship.

You don’t worry if this woman thinks you’re a slob or that you’re being greedy.  Because this woman, this special friend, is doing exactly the same thing.

This very act of sharing a desert shows warmth and true friendship. 

Banoffee pie, perfect for sharing with your best female friend.


Babyville

Makes a generous pie for two – eat straight from the pie dish. Just add two spoons.

FOR THE BISCUIT BASE

100g biscuits (hobnobs or digestives)

20g butter

FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE

125g caster sugar

2 tbsp water

70ml double cream

20g butter

FOR THE CREAM TOPPING

1 banana

100ml double cream

1 heaped tsp icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

EQUIPMENT

Small greased baking dish or pyrex dish (for two persons), heavy bottomed pan, jug, whisk.

 

METHOD

  • Heat oven to 180°C/160 Fan. 
  • Bash the biscuits into crumbs with the end of a rolling pin in a bowl.
  • Melt the butter and stir in. 
  • Tip the buttered biscuit crumbs into the baking dish and press down hard with the back of a spoon. 
  • Bake in the oven for ten minutes. 
  • In the meantime pour the sugar into a heavy bottomed pan and add two tablespoons of water. Heat gently until the sugar is dissolved, then turn up high. 
  • After around five minutes it will start to go brown. As soon as it does so remove from the heat. 
  • Stir in the butter and cream (gently, it’ll bubble up) and pour into a jug so it stops cooking. 
  • When the biscuit base has finished in the oven, remove and allow to cool. 
  • Pour over the cooled caramel and place in the fridge to set. After an hour remove and slice the banana over the caramel. 
  • Whip the cream, add the sugar and vanilla and pour over the top. 
  • Grate some dark chocolate to finish.

 

Bon appetite!