Penelope’s best pie pal entertainment lawyer Ellen Dunn (Heads You Win) was sent to London to visit the set of a soon to be released major motion picture starring a superhero whose name cannot yet be divulged, but who drives a very cool car.

After the big chase sequence, Ellen was having lunch with the crew when a dessert buzz started to ramp up. It was Banoffee Pie day.

“Excuse me, what kind of pie?” Ellen said. “I’ve never heard of Banoffee Pie.”

“Don’t know why not,” a grip told her, “It’s American. It comes from combining banana and toffee.”

Not to argue with a grip, and thanks to the diplomatic filter honed in a big career, Ellen did not blurt out, “I don’t think so. First of all, toffee is not something we Americans pull off the shelf first. Nor would we just naturally think to combine it with bananas. No, I’ve never heard of Banoffee Pie and neither probably had Alexander Hamilton or my friend, Penelope.”

That not having been said, Ellen took the patriotic route, plus a little undeserved credit for her countrymen, and wrote down the recipe for Banoffee Pie which, considering the exchange rate, was about the only thing she could afford to bring home.

Banoffee Pie

Since the production catering staff only cooked for 100 people at a time, they weren’t too sure of the quantities for a single pie. But being a great pie pal and having access to production assistants, here’s what Ellen was able to piece together:

• 2 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk
• 10 oz graham cracker crumbs (or authentic UK digestive biscuits)
• 5 oz butter, softened
• 4 medium bananas
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbs confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• grated chocolate - optional

The Pie Crust

Mix the graham cracker crumbs (or English digestive biscuits) with softened butter and press into a 9 inch pie tin

Place the pie crust in refrigerator until filling is ready

The Filling

Place two cans (tins to the Brits) of milk, unopened, in a pan of water for 1½ hours. (In the UK they boil the milk for 3 hours. Minimum.)
The cans must remain unopened and be submerged in the water as it boils. This will “carmelize” the milk

Note from craft services: Wait until the cans cool before opening, otherwise they
will explode.

If the water boils down to expose the can, quickly refill it
Allow the milk to cool to room temperature
Slice the bananas and layer in the pie pan
Spoon the carmelized milk over the bananas
Whip the cream with the confectioners sugar and vanilla, and spread on top of the milk
Top with grated chocolate

Still skeptical but ever the pie pal, Ellen sent the recipe right to Penelope. Equally skeptical, though not nearly as diplomatic when not facing down a grip, Penelope wouldn’t say she would never make a Banoffee pie, or wouldn’t like Banoffee pie, or would refuse a piece if she were served one by some nice independent producer at a dinner party in Pacific Palisades; but in deference to her newly painted kitchen ceiling, how do you know when the cans are cool enough not to explode?