Banoffee Gnocchi

So this recipe idea came to me when I was listening to the ‘Home Cooking’ podcast by Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirway on my morning walk. They mentioned “Occi Gnocchi’ when talking about octopus gnocchi and my mind started to wander, thinking about other types of gnocchi that could have rhyming names… '“Banoffee Gnocchi” came straight to mind in a few seconds and I just knew I had to create it. I even did a Google search when I got home to confirm that no other banoffee gnocchi existed out there - especially not a gluten free & vegan one! The banana element of banoffee pie is the base of the gnocchi and it is served with maple caramel, cashew whipped cream and pecan biscuit crumb - so, so decadent and so delicious! I hope you love this quirky, creative dessert as I loved creating it! The four elements make it seem overwhelming, but each one is surprisingly quick and easy. Enjoy!!

Serves 4

Cashew Cream:

1 cup raw cashews

⅓ cup filtered water

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Pinch of sea salt

1 tsp. tapioca starch

Biscuit Crumb:

2 tbsp. pecans, chopped

2 tbsp. almond meal

2 tbsp. brown rice flour or buckwheat flour

1 tbsp. coconut sugar

Pinch of sea salt

2 tbsp. macadamia or coconut oil

Gnocchi:

1 large overripe banana (or 2 small)

¾ cup almond meal

3 tbsp. tapioca flour

2 tsp. psyllium husk

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. macadamia or coconut oil, for frying

Caramel Sauce:

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 cup canned coconut milk or cream (the brands Ayam or TCC are recommended)

½ tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1.     Preheat the oven to 160 C (conventional) and line a small baking tray with baking paper.

2.     Start by making the cashew cream. Boil the cashews in a small saucepan of water for 5 minutes and then rinse. Add them to a small blender or coffee grinder with the remaining ingredients and blend until super smooth and creamy. Transfer to the fridge to thicken while you make the rest.

3.     Add all crumble ingredients, except for the oil, to a bowl and stir to combine. Add the oil and use your fingers to rub it in until a crumbly mixture is formed. Place on the lined baking tray and put into the oven to bake for 5-10 minutes or until golden and crunchy. Set aside to cool. (Watch the crumble carefully as it can burn very quickly. For me, flipping the crumble over to cook the other side at 7 minutes and then returning to the oven for 2 more minutes worked perfectly)!

4.     To make the caramel sauce, place all ingredients, except for the vanilla, into a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk regularly until thickened and browned (about 15-20 minutes) and remove from the heat before stirring in the vanilla. Start the gnocchi while this simmers.

5.     To make the gnocchi, mash the banana in a medium sized bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until well combined.

6.     Line a baking tray with baking paper and dust the bench with tapioca flour. Place ½ of the mixture on the floured bench. Dust the top with a little more tapioca flour and use your hands to carefully roll it into a log. Cut the log into pieces about 2cm wide and carefully place the pieces onto the lined baking tray. Continue until all of the mixture has been used.

7.     Heat the macadamia or coconut oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the gnocchi in two batches, ensuring it touches oil on the underside and ensuring you do not crowd the pieces together in the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes or until golden brown and crispy before flipping the gnocchi and cooking the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside while you cook the remaining batch. Repeat until all gnocchi has been pan-fried. You may want to add it all back into the pan to reheat at the end as it is best served hot.

8.     To serve, place two dollops of caramel onto each plate and smear with the back of the spoon. Place the gnocchi on top. Use a piping bag (or zip lock bag with the corner cut off) to pipe dollops of cashew cream around it. Finally, sprinkle over the crunchy pecan crumble. Enjoy immediately while the gnocchi are still hot.