CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CONDENSED MILK NIGELLA LAWSON RECIPES

Steps:

• 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).

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/190°C/gas 5. Cut the rhubarb into 2.5cm pieces, then mix with the caster sugar in a medium roasting tin. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

  Once the rhubarb is cooked, lower the oven temperature to 160°C fan/180°C/gas 4.

  Whisk the olive oil and soft brown sugar together with the egg whites and the whole egg until smoothly incorporated. Stir in the plain flour, salt and milk, then transfer the batter to a lined 24.5cm x 17.5cm baking tin.

  Beat the egg yolks with the condensed milk, then drop tablespoons of the mixture into the blondie batter in the tin. Use the handle of a teaspoon to draw the condensed milk custard gently through, then arrange the roasted rhubarb on top, reserving the juice in the tin. Scatter over the hazelnuts.

  Transfer the tin to the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, until the top of the blondie looks just set. Let the blondie cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring it gently to a wire rack.

  Serve warm or at room temperature, drizzled with the remaining rhubarb juice before serving. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

  For gluten-free: substitute the flour with 75g ground almonds and 75g gluten-free flour (I like the brand Freee, from Doves Farm).

  Note: you can use the remaining condensed milk in coffee, as they do in Vietnam.