Ingredients

• 200g/7oz unsalted butter
• 100g/7oz caster sugar
• 2 x 400g/14oz cans condensed milk
• 250g/8¾oz unsalted butter
• at room temperature
• plus an extra spoonful
• 150g/5¼oz caster sugar
• 150g/5¼oz cornflour
• 300g/10½oz plain flour
• 4 large bananas
• peeled and sliced
• caramel sauce
• banana ice cream
• fresh mint

Directions

• For the caramel
• place the butter and sugar into a non-stick pan over a low heat
• stirring until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Add the condensed milk and slowly bring to the boil
• stirring continuously
• to make the caramel. As soon as the mixture thickens and begins to smell of caramel
• remove from the heat.
• For the shortbread
• preheat the oven to 170C/340F/Gas 3.
• Cream the butter with the sugar in a large bowl until it is light and fluffy. Sift the cornflour and plain flour into the bowl. Mix and gently knead the dough until it comes together in a ball.
• Line a 20cm/8in x 30cm/12in baking tin with non-stick baking parchment. Roll out two-thirds of the dough to fit the tin and lay it inside
• pressing it neatly into the edges.
• Spread three quarters of the condensed-milk caramel evenly over the base (the rest will keep in a covered bowl in the fridge for up to two weeks). Lay the banana slices over the caramel and then crumble the remaining third of the dough over the top.
• Bake for 20 minutes. The caramel should have bubbled up a little among the dough and the top of the shortbread should be golden-brown. Leave it to cool in the tin for five minutes before cutting it into squares. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin.
• To serve
• reheat the shortbread squares. Serve with banana ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Decorate with a sprig of fresh mint.