The BEST Caramel Slice
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: 16
For base:
- 150g/4.6ozs. butter
- 3/4 cup / 115g/4ozs. plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup/110g/4ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 1/2 cup/45g/1.7ozs. desiccated coconut
- 2 cups/60g/2ozs. cornflakes, finely processed
- Pinch salt
For filling:
- 600g/21ozs. sweetened condensed milk
- 100g/3.5ozs. butter, cut into cubes
- 3 tablespoons/75g/2.7ozs. golden syrup
- Pinch of salt
For topping:
-
250g/8.8ozs. dark chocolate
-
1.5 tablespoons coconut oil
Step 1 - Line a 20x20cm/8x8 inch square pan with parchment. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Brown the butter. Place it in a saucepan on medium high heat and heat until it starts to bubble and foam. As soon as it smells nutty remove from the heat and pour into a medium bowl leaving behind any burnt bits at the bottom and set aside.
Step 2 - Place the flour, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Place the cornflakes in a food processor and blitz until very fine crumbs and add to the bowl. Add the melted butter to the mixture and stir until distributed and then press into the prepared tin. Bake for 15 minutes.
Step 3 - Place the condensed milk, butter, golden syrup and salt in a heavy based saucepan and heat on low heat. Stir while it is heating up as you don't want any of the sugar to catch on the bottom. It will become thicker and turn an ever so slightly darker colour-this will take around 30 minutes but the thickness is what you're looking for, not the colour (it will become darker in the oven). Pour over the base and bake in a 180C/350F oven for 20 minutes, rotating halfway until the whole top is caramelised (see pic below).
Step 4 - Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave or a double boiler and stir until very smooth. Pour over the caramel topping and smooth out. When the chocolate starts to set score cuts in the chocolate to divide into 16 pieces - this make it easier to cut into squares. Leave it to set for a couple of hours on the benchtop. When set cut into squares and refrigerate. This will keep for a week or so in the fridge.
Personal Note
Speaking of cutting and knives, I had to laugh because I found myself in a position that I never thought I'd be. One day you're having fun, going to parties and eschewing having kids and then suddenly you've become a person that has got a favourite knife or knives. Let me introduce you to my favourite knives Dear Reader. They're the ones that I reach for several times every day and I would be bereft without them.
This top wooden handled knife is great for cutting and yet has never been sharpened in over 10 years. I love the slightly worn patina of the wooden handle - hell there's even a nick at the top which I think is a slight advantage. And yet despite all of this this knife is used all day long and features in many photographs. The bottom black handled knife comes out when I make lunch. It's great to cutting avocado into cubes and I love how thin it is-it's the knife that I grab to to slide chiffon cakes out of the tins. These knives do not go into the dishwasher. Neither of them are expensive and I think they both came from the kitchen of an ex boyfriend of mine. But Mr NQN has been warned about these knives-they're strictly hand wash only!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you have any favourite treasures in your kitchen that aren't expensive or fancy but you love? And do you like caramel slices?