There are certain desserts that are perfect for any occasion, whether it's a birthday, anniversary, or a casual dinner party with friends. Banoffee pie, sticky toffee pudding, and brownies are versatile crowd-pleasers that will be a hit at any gathering. They are loved by people of all ages, and will be gone within seconds, even if your guests are full after dinner. Try these easy sweet recipes at home and impress your guests.
Banoffee Pie
Ingredients:
For the pie base:
- 225 gm digestive biscuits
- 150g butter, melted
For the caramel:
- 110 g butter
- 100 gm brown sugar
- 240 ml condensed milk
- 3 sliced bananas
- 300 ml double cream
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- Chocolate shavings for garnish
Instructions
- Crush the digestive biscuits until you get a fine crumb, then add melted butter. Place this mixture at the base of a springform cake tin. Refrigerate until the base is set, this should take about an hour.
- For the caramel, heat the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan until the sugar has completely dissolved. This should take about 4 minutes. Keep the heat on medium so the sugar melts slowly and doesn’t burn.
- Slowly add the condensed milk and whisk. Keep stirring and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
- Take the pan off heat, and let the caramel cool down, then pour it over the biscuit base.
- Cover the caramel completely with the banana slices.
- Whip the double cream with some icing sugar until you get soft peaks. Then ladle the whipped cream over the banana slices. Refrigerate once again.
- Before serving, decorate with chocolate shavings.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Ingredients:
- 280 gm roughly chopped dates
- 185 gm flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 250 ml boiling water
- 40 gm brown sugar
- 80 gm unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
Toffee sauce:
- 200 gm brown sugar
- 375 ml heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 70 gm unsalted butter
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180 C and grease seven ramekins lightly with some butter or oil. Set aside for now.
- Place dates in a food processor along with some baking soda, then blend it. Keep pouring hot water into the dates slowly and steadily. Let it cool down slightly in the food processor itself.
- Beat the unsalted butter with brown sugar until pale and smooth. Then add the eggs and mix well.
- Add flour and baking powder as well into this.
- Finally, add the sludge made with dates into the flour.
- Mix well again and pour into the greased ramekins. Only fill about ⅔ of each ramekin with the batter. Use any leftover batter later.
- Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Then create the toffee sauce quickly by mixing all of the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Just simmer the liquid for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Poke holes into the pudding, and pour the toffee sauce into them.
- Run a serrated knife around the puddings, then invert them into serving dishes. Enjoy with some ice cream, and some more toffee sauce.
Brownies
Ingredients:
- 200 gm granulated sugar
- 90 gm flour, sifted
- 70 gm Cadbury Cocoa Powder, sifted
- 120 gm dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 eggs
- 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 165 C and grease a cae tin with some olive oil or melted butter. Dust it with a thin coating of flour too. Shake off any excess flour.
- In a mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, Cadbury Cocoa Powder, dark chocolate chips, sea salt, and flour.
- In another bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil with two eggs, water, and vanilla extract.
- Then fold the dry ingredients slowly into the wet ingredients, and mix well. Refrain from overmixing.
- The batter will be thick, so either spoon it into the prepared cake tin or pour as much as you can into it.
- Bake in the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes.
- Cool the brownies completely before slicing them. They will get fudgier and chewier as they cool down.