Salted Caramel Slice

I gave up lunch for these. Not because I was too busy baking to eat lunch. No, I was too busy snaffling a bite here and there that I figured the best thing in the world to do would be to call it lunch and move on. So I did. Sometimes you've just got to make those sacrifices.

This slice differs slightly from most caramel slices I've baked in that it uses polenta. This is clever as it gives a good crunchiness to the base.  The topping is fairly typical in its mouth-sticking caramel toffee but there's salvation to all that sweetness with the odd salty flake on top. No chocolate layer on this one but I didn't miss it.

The recipe came from the New Zealand Herald's website but wasn't attributed to anyone. Scroll down a bit and there's a jacket photo of The Cook & Baker cookbook (authors Cherie Bevan & Tass Tauroa) so I guess it belongs there and a quick look at the cookbook's reviews online seems to confirm this. The Cook & Baker is a Sydney based cafe and bakery with a Kiwi connection.

Even though I tried dipping my knife in boiling water before slicing I still ended up with rugged edges! Not quite the impeccably smooth look in their photo but they sure taste good. I went for smaller slices than stated and ended up with about eighteen pieces.

Trust me, this is a really good and easy to make slice. Here's the link to the recipe. 

Sweet Caramel & Oat Slice

I must have got my baking mojo back this weekend. As well as having another batch of homemade muesli ready for the working week ahead, I've been busy baking my favourite lemon cake, this time done as a slice instead of a cake. I was on a roll by then and thought my daughter and her flatmates might appreciate a bit of homemade baking. 

I remembered this slice.  I pestered someone for the recipe after tasting it at work many years ago. A mother had made it for a school camp, or some other trip. I'm not sure (or don't remember!) how it found its way to the staff room but I'm glad it did. It's a wonderfully gooey mix of crunch and caramel that we all fell in love with that day and still tastes as good as I remember.

Sweet Caramel & Oat Slice

Makes approximately 24 small slices

For the filling
385g tin sweetened condensed milk
50 grams butter
2 tbsp golden syrup

For the base
175g butter, softened
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups standard flour
1/2 cup rolled oats


Place the condensed milk, butter and golden syrup in a medium sized saucepan and stir over a low heat for about 5 minutes until the butter has melted and the mixture is golden. Leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.  Grease and line a 23cm x 23cm slice tin with baking paper.

In a cake mixer, or by hand, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together until pale and creamy. Sift the flour into the mixture, along with the oats and mix them in until incorporated. The mix will be moist and crumbly.  

Press three-quarters of this mix into the base of the prepared tin, ensuring you have an even surface without gaps.

Pour over the caramel filling and spread out evenly with a palette knife. 

Scatter the remaining quarter of the crumble evenly across the top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden.

Cool in the tin for 15 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool (you should be able to lift out the whole lot by holding onto the overlap of baking paper.  You can refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight and it will be easier to slice.

Once cool, cut into small slices or squares. You don't need to cut the slices too large as it is quite rich. 

Anzac Biscuits

A few years ago I made a slightly different version of these biscuits which you can find here. Today, I've stuck with the classic version. I was tempted to dip half the biscuits in melted chocolate but having just had two with coffee there really is no need for embellishment.

The biscuits were named after the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) soldiers who fought in the First World War at Gallipoli and were given these long lasting biscuits from their loved ones back home. It was quite poignant to think of their history as I baked and listened on the radio to ANZAC stories on the eve of ANZAC day in New Zealand.

They are very easy to make and most of the ingredients you will have in your cupboard. If you don't have thread coconut, substitute with desiccated coconut but it is worthwhile sourcing the longer thread coconut - I think it looks nicer (and thread is easier to spell than desiccated).

ANZAC Biscuits

makes about 20-24 biscuits

125g butter
2 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup coarse thread coconut
1 cup standard flour
1 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.  Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Place the butter, cold water and golden syrup in a medium to large saucepan and heat until butter is melted and it is almost at boiling point. Add baking soda and remove the pan from the heat. Swirl the pan around to ensure baking soda is incorporated.  Add the oats, coconut, flour and brown sugar to the pan and combine well.

Roll tablespoons of the mix into a ball (I used a mini ice-cream scoop) and place on the baking trays, leaving enough space between the biscuits for them to spread. Press with a fork to flatten.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden. Swap the trays around half way to ensure even baking of both trays of biscuits.

Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

The biscuits keep well in an airtight container.

No-bake Chocolate Slice

My friend is rather partial to Altezano’s chocolate fudge slice and on Sundays she often takes home a bite as her wicked chocolate treat for working Mondays.  I reckoned I could make something similar (although as a disclaimer I have to say I haven’t actually tasted Altezano’s, just gazed upon it at the counter) and found this recipe on the Women’s Weekly website. 

I’ve made it three times in about as many weeks and feedback has been most favourable, even when said friend compared it with Altezano’s.  I love the chewy raisins and the balance between the crumbly base and smooth chocolate topping.  A real cure for Mondayitis.

I did promise the recipe after making it for some participants of a photography workshop held here at our house last weekend, so here it is.  I should point out that the experienced photographers did not take the photo - that was left to amateur me – but thanks to Eva for some pointers.

No-bake chocolate slice

175g butter


3 tbsp golden syrup


1 tsp vanilla essence


3 tbsp cocoa powder


1 250g packet digestive biscuits


½ cup desiccated coconut


½ cup raisins

250g dark chocolate melts* (or chopped chocolate) for topping

* I used Cadbury Melts

Line a 17cm x 27cm slice tin with nonstick baking paper.

Crush the biscuits in a food processor (or place in a plastic bag and beat with a rolling pin until crushed).

Place butter, golden syrup and vanilla in a saucepan and heat until butter has melted.  Stir to combine.

Add cocoa, crushed biscuits, coconut and raisins and stir to combine. Press firmly and evenly into the base of the prepared tin.  Set aside.

Topping

Place chocolate melts in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to melt. Stir until smooth.  Spread over the surface of the slice to coat evenly. Leave for an hour or so to set. Cut into bars or squares with a hot knife.

Store in an airtight container.