BANOFFEE PIE, in some recipes it says to heat the unopened can in boiling water, but on the tin it says NOT to

Question

Which is right?

Some recipes tell you to make the caramel by mixing the condensed cream with butter and sugar, but the condensed cream is already SO sweet!?!

Other recipes say heat the unopened can in boiling water for 1-2 hours and it will caramelize. No need to add anything else, yet on the can in warns that the tin may EXPLODE if you do that!

What should I do?

Answer 1

Place the contents of the can into another container. Then place that container into a pot of boiling water.

Answer 2

It's quite safe to heat the unopened can in boiling water. Here is Eagle Brand's own instructions:-

Stovetop method:
Pour Eagle Brand® into top of double boiler; cover. Place over boiling water. Over low heat, simmer 1-1 1/2 hours or until thick and light caramel-coloured. Beat until smooth, if desired. Cool and chill. Refrigerate leftovers.

You could also do the same in the microwave or in the oven. Here is the page on Eagle Brand's website:-

http://canada.eaglebrand.com/bakingtips.asp

Here is Eagle Brand's own Banoffee Pie recipe:-

Banoffee Pie


Prep Time: 20 minutes plus chilling time
Servings: 6-8

Bananas and toffee makes "banoffee"... a truly original taste made possible with the magic of caramelized Eagle Brand.

What You'll Need
3 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 (9-inch/23 cm) prepared graham crumb crust or baked pastry pie shell
1 can (300 mL) Low Fat Eagle Brand®
2 tsp (10 mL) instant coffee
2 tsp (10 mL) warm water
2-3 cups (500-750 mL) frozen whipped topping, thawed

What's Next
1. Place bananas over bottom of prepared crust.
2. Caramelize Eagle Brand: Pour Eagle Brand into 8 cup (2 L) glass measure. Cook, uncovered, at Medium (50%) 4 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Reduce power to Medium Low (30%) and cook, uncovered, 12 to 16 minutes or until thick and light caramel-coloured; stir briskly every 2 minutes until smooth. Cool slightly.
3. Spoon caramelized milk over bananas.
4. Stir together coffee and water until well combined. Gently stir into whipped topping; spoon over caramelized milk. Chill 1 hour.

Answer 3

My eagle brand cookbook states that the wax in the sealing process is unsafe when heated within its can. It suggests placing the condensed milk in a heavy sauce pan and cooking it over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes. Just remember, its like molten lava at that point and it will burn you. Good luck.

Answer 4

I always understood you could just leave a couple of holes in the tin lid one on either side and that would stop it exploding as the pressure can escape!