Prince William’s Favourite Banana Flan.

"William and Harry could polish off a whole one of these in a sitting, " says McGrady. (This makes about double the amount of pastry you will need. You can freeze the extra and save it for another flan.)

6 oz (170 g) sugar
14 oz (400 g) butter
1 egg
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
1 lb (454 g) all-purpose flour1 1/2 cups (375 mL) milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) heavy cream
5 egg yolks [112 g]
1 egg [55 g]
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
1/4 (35 g) cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp (14.2 g) unsalted butter, softened

Topping:
4 ripe bananas
1/2 cup (125 mL) apricot jelly

Pastry: In food processor, add sugar, butter, egg and vanilla. Pulse until smooth and add the flour. Tip out onto a floured surface and mix to form a smooth dough. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll out the pastry to about 1/4-in (6 mm) thickness and line a 9-inch (23 cm) flan ring. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes. Blind bake using beans to hold the shape of the pastry until it’s firm and golden grown. Remove from the oven; remove the beans and set aside.

Filling: In a heavy saucepan, bring the milk and cream to the boil. Place the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Pour the milk over the egg mixture and whisk. When the milk is incorporated pour the contents back into the pan and return to the heat. Continue whisking the pastry cream until it thickens, about 4 minutes, then remove from the heat and spoon into the baked pastry shell. Slice the bananas into 1/4-in (6-mm) discs and arrange neatly on top of the warm filling. Bring the apricot jelly to a boil in a small pan and brush over the top of the bananas.

Makes 6 servings, or enough for two hungry princes.

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