Chocolate Caramel Slice

This is one of those sweet treats that takes me back to my childhood. It certainly wasn’t something I was allowed to have often, but oh my, how I cherished it when I was. It’s that old classic, the humble Chocolate Caramel Slice. That delightful slice that you will always find at country fairs and school cake stalls, or on your granny’s favourite serving plate when you go and visit (because she knows they’re secretly still your favourite). Truth be told, I seemed to be able to eat more of these in one sitting as a child than I can now. I think perhaps my sugar tolerance has diminished, but it won’t stop me trying!! I hope these bring back fond memories for you too, just go easy, they’re very rich!

Mel xoxo

makes 30

Ingredients

Base

1 cup plain flour

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup soft brown sugar

125g unsalted butter, melted

generous pinch of salt

Caramel Layer

2 x 395g cans sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup golden syrup

125g unsalted butter, melted

generous pinch of salt

Chocolate Topping

250g dark chocolate

1tbsp vegetable oil

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 30cm x 20cm baking tray with baking paper.

Place the flour, coconut, sugar, butter and salt in a bowl and mix until well combined. Press the mixture into the baking tray, making sure it is level and pressed into the corners (note: it may look like you don’t have enough mixture but it will go the distance, trust me). Bake for 15 mins or until golden.

Whilst the base is cooking, prepare the caramel by placing the condensed milk, golden syrup, butter and salt in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir for around 5 minutes or until the caramel has thickened and darkened slightly.

Pour the caramel over the cooked base and bake for 20 minutes or until the caramel is golden. Refrigerate the slice until it is cold.

For the chocolate topping, put the chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and pour over the cooled slice. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly over the slice. You can give the tray a few gentle taps on the bench to level out the chocolate. Refrigerate until firm and then cut into slices (tip: use a hot knife to avoid your chocolate topping cracking when you cut it).