Banoffee Pie

Makes: One 9-inch pie, enough for about 8 servings

Time: About 1 hour

This banana and toffee mash-up—beloved in the UK but, for reasons unknown, lesser known stateside—tastes like a banana split. Make the crust with digestive biscuits to stick with tradition or substitute chocolate wafers. Graham crackers work too.

• 1 stick butter
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cookie Crumb Crust, pressed into a 9-inch pie plate, baked, and cooled
• 6 bananas
• Whipped Cream
• Grated dark chocolate for sprinkling

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the brown sugar and cook until melted, then add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a light golden brown.

2. Pour the filling into the cooled piecrust and chill for at least 1 hour or until the toffee is firm. When the filling is firm, slice the bananas and arrange in a single layer over the pie. Top with whipped cream and grated chocolate. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

PEANUT BUTTER–BANANA PIE A winning combination, especially with a crust made from chocolate wafers: Swap in ½ cup creamy peanut butter for the brown sugar.

PEACH-TOFFEE PIE Perfect for a late summer barbecue: Substitute 4 peaches, pitted and sliced, for the bananas.