Mini Banoffee Pies

I first made these little heavenly morsels for a party about 10 years ago and they received so much adoration that I have been making them ever since.  
Yes, they may be a bit of a fiddle but believe me, the acclaim you will receive makes your hard work more than worthwhile!
By the way, it is always a good idea to make a few plain 'offee' pies as there are always a few who don't like bananas.

Makes 24 Mini Banoffee Pies

Ingredients

250g Digestive Biscuits

175g Butter

400g tin of Condensed Milk

125g Butter

150g Light Brown Muscovado Sugar

2-3 Bananas

300ml Double Cream

3 tablespoons Icing Sugar

few drops of Vanilla Extract

A small amount of dark or milk chocolate (not essential)

• For the bases you will need two bun tins (patty tins) that have 12 cups each.  Put a fairy cake or cup cake case in each cup (this stops the biscuit bases from sticking to the tin).
• Bash, crush or blitz the digestive biscuits into crumbs, melt the butter and pour it into the crumbs, mixing to combine.
• Spoon the crumb mixture into the cake cases (about a teaspoon and a half in each) and press it down firmly in each cup letting it come up the sides a bit.  Put the tins in the fridge to allow the bases to set.
• To make the toffee filling, put the condensed milk, butter and sugar into a small pan and gently heat up, stirring all the time to dissolve the sugar.  Bring to the boil slowly, continuing to stir, then simmer for 2-3 minutes (the longer you simmer, the harder it will set).  Turn off the heat and let it cool down a little.
• Take the bases out of the fridge and spoon about a dessert spoon of the warm toffee into each case, put them back into the fridge to set until you want to serve them (this stage can be done the day before).
• When you want to finish them (bear in mind that they really need to be served within about 3 hours of making them) carefully take each toffee filled pie out of it's cake case and put on a plate.  Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract until thick.   
• Cut each banana in half lengthways then slice into semi-circles, arrange 5 or 6 pieces onto each little pie.
• You can then pipe or dollop the cream on top, I like to pipe blobs (dare I say nipple shaped?) using a large round piping nozzle.
• Finish the mini banoffee pies with a grating of chocolate.  Serve then stand back and enjoy the wave of appreciation that will most certainly come your way!