Ingredients (serves 2)
1 tin condensed milk
2 small ripe banana, diagonally sliced
150ml thickened cream
¼ teaspoon cassia or cinnamon*
Mint leaves
Flower petals (optional)
1 sheet frozen shortcrust pastry (if short on time)*
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
1 cup plain flour, leveled
60g cold butter, chopped
2 tablespoons water
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 egg yolk, beaten
Method
- For the caramel, remove label from condensed milk tin and place in a saucepan, fill with water and on low heat, simmer for 3 hours. Important: (Make sure the tin is submerged at all times, you will need to top up the water level regularly). Carefully remove tin and cool, before placing in the fridge overnight. Place caramel in a container and it will last in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.
- For the sweet shortcrust pastry, place flour on a flat surface and make a well in the centre. Rub butter into the flour using your fingers until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add water, salt, sugar and egg yolk and mix into a dough using your fingers. Knead lightly by flattening the dough twice. Check for smoothness, knead again if necessary. Press flat and wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight. Or you can freeze the pastry until ready to use at a later date. Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface to 5 mm thick ready for the recipe.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line 2 x 10cm fluted loose base tart tins with a piece of pastry, (chill for 20 minutes if using frozen pastry). Prick bases with a fork and line with baking paper, fill with baking beads or rice. Blind bake in the oven for 10 minutes, remove baking beads and bake for a further 3-5 minutes or until base is dry. Remove from oven and cool tart cases.
- Whip cream until soft peaks form, add cassia and stir to combine, place in fridge until ready to serve.
- Carefully remove tart bases from tin and spread caramel into tart cases and smooth the tops, you will only need half of the tin of caramel for this dessert.
To Serve
On 2 serving plates place tarts on each plate, top with sliced banana and a dollop of cassia cream. Arrange flower petals and mint leaves onto of the cream and serve.
Chef's Notes
*The caramel and pastry could be made the day before. You can use frozen pastry if you are short on time or make sweet shortcrust pastry from scratch. Cassia is baker’s cinnamon, this can be found at gourmet food shops or you can substitute with standard cinnamon.
