Baked salted caramel banoffee tarts

Crisp pretzels and a salted caramel filling take this classic English dessert to new heights. Serve these banoffee tarts either chilled or at room temperature but never forget the vanilla cream and bitter chocolate shavings.

Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  8

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• melted butter, to grease
• 4 ripe medium bananas (about 200 g each)
• good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa), shaved, to decorate

Crumb base

• 200 g digestive biscuits
• 50 g pretzels (see Note)
• 150 g butter, melted

Caramel Filling

• 395 g tin sweetened condensed milk
• 110 g (½ cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 40 g butter, cubed
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes

Vanilla cream

• 200 ml thickened cream
• 100 ml sour cream
• 1½ tsp vanilla bean paste

Cooling time 1 hour

Chilling time 1 hour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Brush eight round 8 cm (base measurement) x 10 cm (top measurement) individual fluted tart tins with removable bases and place on an oven tray.

To make the crumb base, process the biscuits and pretzels in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter and process until well combined. Divide the crumb mixture among the tart tins and use your fingertips to press the crumb mixture evenly over the base and up the sides of each.

To make the caramel filling, combine the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, golden syrup and butter in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 2-3 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves (do not boil). Stir in the salt.

Pour the hot caramel immediately over the tart bases. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes. Remove the tarts from the oven and set aside for 30 minutes or until cooled slightly. Place in the fridge for 1 hour to chill.

To make the vanilla cream, use a balloon whisk to whisk together the cream, sour cream and vanilla bean paste. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve.

To serve, remove the tarts from their tins and place on serving plates. Peel and slice the bananas and arrange over the caramel filling. Top with a dollop of vanilla cream and decorate with the shaved chocolate.

Notes

• Choose the crisp, small pretzel crackers sold in packets for this recipe.

• These tarts will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Anneka Manning. Food preparation by Tina McLeish.

Anneka's mission is to connect home cooks with the magic of baking, and through this, with those they love. For hands-on baking classes and baking tips, visit her at BakeClub. Don't miss what's coming out of her oven via Facebook,Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

This recipe is part of our Bakeproof: Caramel.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.