Lemochocricot Slice (or Lemon, Apricot and Chocolate slice)

After being stranded in Perth (Perth! The most isolated and over-priced city in the world!) due to the Qantas ignominy this weekend, Leith came home last night.  I wanted to make him his favourite treat as a welcome home gesture, and this meant making lemon slice.  But then the part of me that likes to overdo things, and over-commit, and fix what isn't broken, decided that regular lemon slice was too easy.

I decided to take a regular lemon slice and gussy it up with dried apricots and chocolate.  It still has that essential lemon slice quality, but with extra bits! The apricots add a slightly fuller flavour, and the dark chocolate adds crackle and - dare I say it - offsets the sweetness of the slice.  Yep, that's the kind of slice we're making; one that needs chocolate to provide contrast to sweetness.


Leith has dubbed in Lemochocricot Slice, and so it shall be named.


Ingredients:

• 1 packet plain biscuits (like Arnotts Marie or Milk Coffee)
• 1 tin sweetened condensed milk
• 2 lemons
• 1.5 cups desiccated coconut
• 1 cup dried apricots
• 250g dark chocolate
• 2.5 cups icing sugar

Blend the biscuits in a food processor for just a few seconds until it's a mix of finer crumbs and some slightly larger chunks.  Finely chop your apricots, and grate the rind of one lemon.  Place your biscuit pieces, 1 cup of coconut and apricots in a large mixing bowl.

On a very low heat, mix the juice of one lemon and the condensed milk and lemon rind.  The mixture will curdle slightly, but that's ok.  Keep stirring to ensure it doesn't burn.  Once mixed through, add to the dry mixture and stir thoroughly.

Press the mixture in a lined, low and wide dish, and press down firmly with your wooden spoon to compact it in an even layer at the height you want your slice to be.  Melt your chocolate.  I do this in the microwave, checking at 10 second intervals, and completing it by stirring once it's about two thirds melted to prevent any burning.  Pour the chocolate over the slice and spread it evenly across.  Then place the slice in the fridge for at least an hour.

Finally, prepare the icing with the juice of your second lemon and your icing sugar.  Spread this over the slice, and dust with coconut.  Return to the fridge to set.  Then serve in small squares.  Even with the chocolate it's still pretty sweet.