Thanksgiving and a Kitchen Disaster

Thanksgiving is very much an American thing. Unlike other customs which have travelled across the pond and been copied by Europe and the world, this holiday seems exclusively American; ask any Irish person when Thanksgiving is or what it's about and you'll probably get an answer along the lines of 'Some time in Autumn...ish and something to do with Native Americans and turkey...maybe...'

I've learned a few things about Thanksgiving thanks to my lovely American, Ethan, and I feel that the most important part of it is that it represents a chance to get together as a family and enjoy great food and company. This year is the first year I'm actually going to be experiencing Thanksgiving firsthand so we'll see if my estimation of it has changed by this evening.

I'm bringing dessert this year and without pause for thought Ethan chose Pecan Pie. So I dug out a recipe I've made before with fantastic results. There's no corn syrup in this recipe because it's next to impossible to get over here and when you do manage to find it it's ridiculously expensive. In fact when this recipe was written I doubt corn syrup even existed over this side of the Atlantic. Unfortunately, when I wet to remove it from the oven it was black...ALL THE WAY THROUGH! My oven apparently has a hotspot right in the center, which defies the laws of baking physics but anyway! So I had to improvise and whip up a banoffee pie instead, which is a very American dessert and luckily also one of Ethan's favourites.


Rather than post up the abysmal pie disaster I am going to post the Banoffee recipe, I promise to post my corn syrup free pecan pie next time I make it


Banoffee Pie
Makes one 9" pie

• 450-500g digestive biscuits 
• 140g butter, melted
• 387g tin condensed milk
• 100g light brown sugar
• 100g butter
• 3-4 bananas
• whipped cream (to decorate)

Put digestives in a sandwich or ziploc bag and crush using a rolling pin, or kitchen mallet, or something similar
Tip into a bowl and add the melted butter, stirring to coat them evenly
Pour this mix into a loose bottomed 9" pie tin and press into the base and sides.
Chill in the fridge for 20-30 mins
Add the condensed milk, brown sugar and butter to a pan and heat over a medium heat, until it thickens and becomes a caramel colour.
Pour into the tin and smooth into an even layer over the base, chill for 45 mins - 1 hour
Slice the bananas into rounds approximately 3-5mm thick and layer over the caramel until it is all covered.
Put the cream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe around the outside edge of the pie.


Imagine, DESS-aster (:P) saved by bananas, caramel and digestive biscuits! They may be my new kitchen heroes! Many thanks also to Ana over at Pinch of Salt for the photo :) 


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Mars Bar Rice Krispie Squares

While looking for a quick fix for a friend's birthday a few years ago I was put onto the idea of a jazzed up version of rice krispie squares by a friend of mine. She recommended adding marshmallows and golden syrup and they worked out really well!!! (I'll include the variations at the end of this recipe)


I came up with this mars bar variation for an event in college last year and they went down an absolute treat so I usually make them for birthday parties where a cake or something more fragile would be impossible to transport or wouldn't keep well in the open :) And let's face it, who doesn't like sticky, chewy, crispy, chocolatey treats?


The recipe is a bit on the approximate side because it really is improvised to the max but I'll make sure to describe what you should be seeing in your bowl :) You'll have to do this in 3 batches if you want to make the full amount of squares.


Mars Bar Rice Krispie Squares


(Makes approx. 30 smallish squares)

• 20 snacksize Mars bars
• 3 tbsp Golden syrup
• 3 tsps butter
• 250-300g Rice Krispies

Melt 1/3 of the Mars Bars over a bain marie until sticky (it will still be quite firm though)

Add 1 tbsp of the Golden Syrup and mix in well

Add 1 tsp of the butter, let it melt and mix well (it should be quite malleable and loose at this stage but still sticky)

Add 1/3 of the Rice Krispies and mix until they are coated in the mars bar mixture (they won't get completely 

coated but that's how it works)

You can add more if you feel there aren't enough Rice Krispies in the mix

Either roll into balls using 1 tbsp of the mix or pour out onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper

Repeat the above with the remaining Mars Bars and add to the same tray.

Refrigerate until hard then remove, cut into squares and enjoy!

If you want you can substitute the Mars bars for 150g of mini Marshmallows, or add both (SINFULLY yummy!)


Thanks to the Greedy Gourmet for the pic :)

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