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.

Hedgehog slice

More chocolately treats for me and my workmates and this blog. Um, hands up if you're menstruating.


Meanwhile, this little puppy needs no introduction.  It's hedgehog slice bitches!  Being my turn to bake for my workmates at our weekly WIP, and with Leith waxing lyrical around the house about hedgehog there was really no question. But then I started considering various recipes online and fell into a deep 'to condensed milk or not to condensed milk' quandary.  So I called Mum, she referred to her high school recipe book, and we ascertained that hedgehog as we know it does not have condensed milk.  Bummer.  I mean, I LOVE condensed milk so I bought some anyway and will make something with it or just drink it from the tin sometime soon.  But here is how I made some of the best hedgehog ever*!


Ingredients:

•  2 packets (500g) Marie biscuits (or other plain biscuits)
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup hazlenut meal
• 200g chocolate (mixture milk and dark)
• 200g butter
• 2 large tablespoons golden syrup
• vanilla essence
• 2 eggs

Icing:

•  200g chocolate
• 50g butter

 Line a large rectangular dish with baking paper.  Put the chocolate, butter, golden syrup and vanilla in a saucepan on a low heat until melted, and stir for about 5 minutes until thick and shiny.  Turn off the heat and leave to cool while you prepare the dry ingredients.

Put the sugar, cocoa and meal in a very large mixing bowl.  Take your biscuits and a large heavy rolling pin - it's time to get smashy smashy!  You want some crumbs and some larger pieces of biscuit, so smash away until you're happy.  Mix through with the other dry ingredients.

Add the eggs to the wet chocolate and mix thoroughly.  Then add the whole lot to the dry mix and stir through until evenly combined.  Push the whole lot into the paper-lined dish and smoosh down hard with the spoon so it sets firm.  Put in the fridge to chill. 

After about an hour, melt the remaining chocolate with the butter for the icing, dollop onto the slice and smear over until evenly covered.  Then refridgerate overnight or at least for an hour.  When ready to serve, cut into squares with a super sharp knife.  Your workmates will love you.




*I made double, because hedgehog is very very good and it's imperative you don't run out. Imperative.