BERRY CREAM PIE RECIPES

Chilling time: a minimum of 2¼ hours. Cook time: 5 minutes.

1. Line the sides of the tin with strips of cling film (using a little water to help the cling film stick) and then line the base with a disc of baking paper.

2. First make the pie base. Place the biscuits in a freezer bag and finely crush with a rolling pin. Melt the butter in a non-stick saucepan over a low heat, add the biscuits and combine. Spoon into the base of the tin, pressing down with the back of the spoon to level. Chill for 15 minutes.

3. To make the filling, heat the butter and sugar in the same pan and stir over a low heat until combined. Add the condensed milk and bring to the boil and boil, stirring continuously, for 2–3 minutes or until dark golden, taking care that the mixture doesn’t catch on the bottom. Do not allow to boil for too long or it will become grainy. Add the vanilla extract and pour into the tin. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

4. Peel and slice the bananas and arrange in neat rounds on top of the caramel. Whip the cream to soft peaks and spoon or pipe it over the bananas, then level the top before chilling in the fridge for an hour.

5. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over pan of gently simmering water. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

6. Remove the edges of the tin from the banoffee pie, peel off the cling film and transfer to a serving plate, slipping the baking paper from underneath. Zigzag the melted chocolate over the top (if using), making sure it’s cool or it will melt the cream, or dust with cocoa powder.

Prepare Ahead:

The base and filling can be made up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Ideally, the pie should be assembled with the banana and cream on the day. However, it can be assembled a day in advance: as long as the banana is completely covered in the cream, it will not discolour.

Mary’s Classic Tip:

* For a speedier dessert, use a tin of ready-made caramel (bear in mind this doesn’t set as firmly).

Arrange half the apple slices in the bottom of a shallow 900ml pie dish and sprinkle with the caster sugar. Arrange the cloves evenly among the apples. Cover with the remaining apple slices and add 3 tablespoons cold water.

To make the pastry, measure the flour into a bowl. Add the diced butter and white vegetable fat and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add about 2 tablespoons cold water and mix to a firm dough.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to a size that will cover the top of the pie dish. Lift the dough onto the dish and trim the edges. If you like, cut the trimmings into decorative shapes, such as leaves, and lightly press onto the dough. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Brush the pie with a little milk, then sprinkle the top with sugar. Make a small slit in the centre of the pie for the steam to escape. Bake in the preheated oven for 40–45 minutes or until the apples are tender and the pastry is crisp and pale golden. Cover the pie loosely with foil towards the end of the cooking time, if the pastry starts to brown before the apples are cooked.

You can freeze the pie after cooking and when completely cool. Leave to defrost almost completely before reheating and serving. Uncooked homemade pastry is an excellent standby for the freezer. Pack it in separate quantities of 225g (8oz) and 450g (1lb), labelling it clearly. Defrost in the fridge or kitchen until pliable enough to roll and use.