I think I mentioned recently that we moved to Louisiana 4 years ago in January. What I didn’t tell you was that our move here was part of a much bigger life transition, both in ways that we expected (we meant it when we said we’d go just about anywhere when my husband graduated from college) and ways that we didn’t expect (the months leading up to his graduation were much more tumultuous and stressful than we ever anticipated). On top of that, there were so many general unknowns: the economy was crashing and my husband and I had no idea how that would affect us (other than the fact that one day we were qualified for a home loan and a week later we weren’t because the housing market had fallen apart). Once we’d had a few months to get settled in our new location, reality started setting in: we were far from our friends and family. Real life was expensive. We had a baby and a toddler in a completely unfamiliar place. The economy was getting worse. I felt so lost.
Sara and I had talked about starting a cooking blog for awhile. Cooking blogs were in their very baby stages and we had very modest expectations for what we hoped it would be–mostly a place to organize our recipes for ourselves and share our recipes with our friends and families. A fun hobby. Something to keep us busy. So four years ago tomorrow, we launched our humble little blog with a few of our favorite recipes and hoped that maybe someone would come and read them.
Imagine our surprise when, after a month or so, we started getting comments from people we didn’t know. It was kind of terrifying and exhilarating and fun all at once. We changed our look, we changed our name, we changed our look a few more times. We learned as we went along and suddenly…we had all these readers, all these friends, people who actually kind of cared about our recipes and our stories and the things we were sharing. And, slowly, I started finding myself again.
We get lots of emails and comments that bring us so much happiness (don’t get me wrong, we get a lot that make us want to write a book about crazy people, too!), from the little things like finally showing up your mother-in-law with your homemade dinner rolls to stories so emotional and personal that we feel like it’s an undeserved honor to be considered a part of them. But we rarely get to genuinely thank you guys for what you’ve done for us. We could take pictures and write recipes until we went crazy, but if there was no one reading them, there wouldn’t be any point in it. Thank you for taking this wild ride with us, for letting us tell you our stories and for helping us re-discover who we are. I think I can speak for both of us when I say that this has been one of the greatest, most unexpected blessings in our lives in so many ways and we don’t have the words to thank you.
So I’ll try to do it with pie. Naughty, naughty pie that should only be eaten once a year.
You’ll need a packaged chocolate cookie crust (think a graham cracker crust, only made with Oreos), bananas, sweetened condensed milk, whipping cream, brown sugar, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and toffee chocolate bars (like Heath) or chocolate-covered toffee bits.
Using one can of sweetened condensed milk,
prepare the Dulce de Leche according to these directions.
Yes, I know this picture has two cans–although math was never my subject, I am a fairly competent counter. But I doubled the recipe for evil purposes.
When the Dulce de Leche has cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Spread it over the bottom and up the sides of the cookie crust.
If my Dulce de Leche looks a little…clumpy, that’s because it is. When you look at the instructions and they say that it takes about an hour for the Dulce de Leche to cook, it may not be in your best interest to use that hour to take a nap, even though you’re six months pregnant and tired and you were up half the night with allergy-ridden children. It’s okay. It was hidden under layers of awesomeness and still tasted fabulous.
Cut your bananas into 1/4″ slices and lay them on top of the Dulce de Leche…
Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of crushed chocolate toffee bits on top of the bananas and set it aside.
In a medium bowl with electric beaters, mix together the cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy. In a large bowl, beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar together until medium peaks form. Add the cream cheese and mix until well-combined, light, and fluffy.
Gently spread the whipped cream mixture over the toffee bits and then sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of toffee bits. Chill for several hours before serving.
Edited to add: Apparently, everyone else in the world calls this Banoffee Pie. That’s what I get for living under a rock. 🙂
Dulce de Leche Banana Toffee Pie
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
1 8-serving chocolate cookie pie crust
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 bananas
1 cup crushed chocolate-covered toffee bars or Heath bits
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese (light is fine)
1/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions:
Prepare Dulce de Leche according to these instructions. When done, allow to cool slightly and then spread onto the bottom and up the sides of the cookie crust.
Cut the bananas into 1/4″ slices. Lay the slices over the Dulce de Leche. Sprinkle with about 1/2 of the toffee bits and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream. Beat with electric beaters until medium peaks form. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and the brown sugar with the electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the whipped cream and mix with the electric mixer until fluffy and combined. Gently spread over the toffee bits and then sprinkle with remaining toffee bits. Chill for several hours before serving. Serves 8-10.
You guys are talented, witty, creative and – best of all – really approachable. Thanks for not being one of those snobby, “I never make any mistakes” types of food bloggers. 🙂 It gives me hope.
Happy Birthday To Our Best Bites! You are the source of many wonderful recipes that my family has loved. This pie sounds amazing!!!
Happy Birthday to my favotite food blog! I’m making this pie for my team meeting at work on Monday. I hope they feel like working after they eat it! LOL
Thank you for you story! My husband graduates in a few months. Like you, we’ll go anywhere a job will take us. It’s nice to know that life becomes normal again despite the major changes that come with moving.
I love your blog! You ladies inspire me. Thank you.
Oh my goodness! This recipe looks so good!
Congratulations on your Success! I enjoy looking at your blog all the time!
Happy Happy Birthday,
Today’s your special day!
Happy Happy Birthday,
It’s what I’m here to say!
Happy Happy Birthday,
May all your dreams come true!
Happy Birthday Best Bites, may you continue to blog yummy and prosperous!
P.S. I forgot my manners here ladies, I need to say thank you for providing a great site which I refer to often and find the most delectable things to make! Congratulations on another wonderful year!
thanks for the hints about making the dulce de leche -and for the yummy sounding dessert
Thank YOU for all the fun, witty, hilarious posts and the inspiring, yummy, evil, delicious recipes!! You have brought my mind back to the basics and away from all the fru-fru stuff…with a reminder that GREAT food doesn’t have to use weird ingredients or take hours to prepare. You guys have blessed OUR lives!!
never heard of either, so thank you for this thank you pie recipe and I am sooo going to make this. yummo. can’t wait. love coming here for stories, and recipes. who cares if things are lumpy once in a while. that’s why we have teeth.
Happy Birthday to Our Best Bites!!
You’ve had a birthday, shout hurray!
We want to sing to you today!
One year older and “awesome-r” too!
Happy Birthday, to YOU!
(I bet you know the tune to this one…)
Yumminess on the recipe, by the way.
This looks amazing and may I thank you for letting me live vicariously through you. I can enjoy a virtual pie like this and not end up eating the whole thing! Happy Blogger Birthday!
Your blog has meant a lot to me too! I am so happy for the both of you and the success you have found sharing your best with the world. It must be so gratifying to have so many admire you and your talents. Thanks to both of you for helping me make better food. Thanks to you for adding variety to my kitchen. I also love both of your little quips about your lives. Your writing is as good as your recipes.
And thank you for this pie. Holy Cow. Did you make a deal with the devil or something. This pie might kill me. There’s only one way to know for sure.
you are deliciously evil!
I am really really REALLY trying to be good this month!!!
Here are the 2 reasons why: I JUST (literally 4 days ago) lost my baby weight (she’s 14 months old now:) & my husband and I are getting to go to Hawaii together the first week of April! He’s been in Med school for the last 3 years, so for his spring break we’re hop’n a plane (kid free!) so we’re really excited…to say the least…
HOWEVER, this is on my “must make” list for the 2nd week of april 🙂
I’m so glad you guys have found success in this. I don’t follow blogs, but I do yours because it helps me to feel like I’m a better mom & wife, but more importantly I love cooking for me! I’m just glad that there are 2 mom’s out there getting to do something they love (and probably hate at times…because isn’t that how it goes) and are able to see the rewards from their efforts.
Happy blogiversary! If I could read only one blog from here on out, this one would be it. I’m so glad you share your lives (and your recipes) with us. Also, I have tried your crockpot method for cooking the condensed milk, and it turned out beautifully. I highly recommend it.
Perfect for hosting a “Pi Day” on 3.14 next Wednesday. Yeah, we’re nerdy like that. But you get pie!
I’m so happy for you guys (and a little jealous)!!! I have been following your blog for the last 3-4 years. I found you on that Babycenter board, remember that? I have loved every recipe of yours that I’ve tried. This pie looks amazing!
You gals’ blog is my absolute FAVORITE! My mom and I use your recipes ALL. THE. TIME. And we love them! (And the stories that go with them!). This recipe looks sooooooo good!!! Definitely on my ‘make it asap’ list! 😉
Tomorrow is my 4th wedding anniversary… What a happy coincidence! This looks delicious!
What a sweet story of struggle and success. I love it when there is a deserved happy ending to a story. Congratulations on four years! Happy Birthday!
I think you should write a book about the crazies….or start another link similar to ‘the scoop’ 🙂 I don’t understand why some people get so worked up over the silliest things. Happy Wednesday!!
Happy Birthday! I’m grateful you both found yourselves and blessed our lives at the same time! Thank you! (And that pie… looks crazy good!)
Kate, did you double the sweetened condensed milk for this recipe or just to have extra deliciousness on hand? And, if you didn’t have chocolate covered toffee bits, but only regular toffee bits, would it be best to use mini chocolate chips or shaved Hershey bar for a substitution?
I just made extra to pack in school lunches, so I only ended up using 1 can in the pie. I would probably use shaved chocolate bar (if you can’t find actual toffee candy bars to break up yourself)–they’ll melt in your mouth better. 🙂
This pie looks yummy! I think I will try to make it next week on pi day (you know, pi is 3.14 and next Wednesday is March 14, 3.14). We are having a pie party for pi day and I think this pie will be perfect for dessert. (and your chicken pot pie for dinner) Thanks!
I’m might be thinking ahead of myself but will the cooking time be the same for the Dulce De Leche if you use 2 cans of the Sweetned Condensed Milk?
Happy 4th Birthday and thank you for sharing your recipes and ideas.
It really depends on your oven. I’d definitely check it after an hour, but it could take a little longer. You will pretty much have to add more water to the larger pan, though (not that I’m speaking from ANY kind of firsthand experience here…I don’t KNOW how my Dulce de Leche got gloopy, haha!)
Happy Birthday, OBB! Thanks for all the wonderful, delicious thing to eat. Thank you for helping my husband and I discover our joy of cooking together, and giving us something special to try for every occasion (real or imagined!) Here’s to another 4 years!!!
We’re blessed by all that you ladies share! Happy Birthday! And OH NO YOU DIDN’T with this pie?! Holy moley, this looks amazing. “naughty” is right! 😀
Everytime I use one of your recipes, you gain a new fan or two. I am still getting requests from people I gave your peppermint popcorn to this last Christmas. I enjoy reading your down-to-earth comments. I must admit I browse the desserts about three times as much as the dinners, but that’s okay, right? This pie looks delicious. I think I’ll make one for my neighbor who came over and plowed my driveway last night at 11:00 PM. I think he deserves something special.
Happy birthday to the Our Best Bites blog! Thank you for inspiring me to start my own recipe blog and not be afraid to do it. Happy birthday and thank you for all of the food and fun over the last 4 years! 🙂
Well you are not the only one, I never heard of Banoffee Pie either!! This looks so delicious…..can’t wait to make it. Happy Birthday OBB….I love you girls!