Serves 8
Ingredients:
190 g (6 ½ oz) digestive biscuits (graham crackers)
110 g (4 oz) unsalted butter
110 g (4 oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), plus extra for shaving
1 kg (2 lb 3 oz/10 scoops) Banana milk gelato
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) pouring (single/light) cream
50 g (1 ¾ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar
3 g (1/8 oz) vanilla paste
1 ripe banana, sliced
8 maraschino cherries
Banana caramel sauce
100 g (3 ½ oz) very ripe banana, chopped
155 g (5 ½ oz) soft brown sugar
160 ml (51 fl oz) pouring (single/light) cream
50 g (1 ¾ oz) unsalted butter
1 To make the banana caramel sauce, add the banana, sugar and cream to a heavy-based saucepan over a medium–high heat and heat for 1–2 minutes until bubbling. Remove from the heat and blend with a hand-held blender until smooth, then whisk in the butter until incorporated. Pour into a bowl and transfer to the fridge to chill.
2 Place the biscuits in a large bowl and crush them with the end of a rolling pin to a fine crumb (alternatively, blitz them briefly to a similar consistency in a food processor).
3 Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler set over a medium–high heat. Pour the mixture over the crushed biscuits and stir to combine.
4 Spoon the biscuit crumb mixture into a 20 cm (8 in) loosebottomed pie tin and press it into the base to cover evenly, being sure to leave no gaps. Spoon over the banana gelato and spread it with a palette knife to form an even layer, then transfer to the freezer and leave to chill for 1 hour.
5 Remove the pie from the freezer and pour over the banana caramel sauce evenly, then return to the freezer for a further 1 hour, or until ready to serve.
6 When ready to serve, whisk the cream, icing sugar and vanilla paste together in a mixing bowl to form soft peaks. Arrange half the banana slices over the caramel in an even layer, dollop over the whipped vanilla cream, then top with the maraschino cherries and remaining banana slices and shave a little extra dark chocolate over the top to finish.
This is an edited extract from Pidapipo by Lisa Valmorbida published by Hardie Grant Books NZD $44.99 and is available in stores nationally. Copyright Photography © Lauren Bamford and Jesper Hede 2017. Illustrator: © Jean Jullien.
