chocolate coconut slice

This month’s theme for Sugar High Friday, hosted by Rachel from Vampituity, is “childhood delights” and requires participants to cook desserts from their youth.

Chocolate Coconut Slice features firmly in my mind and reminds me of two people: my highschool friend Gemma, who used to make it and bring it to school to share, and my mother who made it at home and taught me how to do it too.

It’s a perfect recipe to whip up if you have impromptu guests or a late-night craving for something sweet. I usually have all the ingredients in the pantry.

It’s also great to make with kids because there are quite a few non-heat related stages where they can safely assist you - the way I used to help out my mum.

Most of all, it’s really delicious and somehow has a salty-sweet edge from the chewy coconut. Best served cut into small squares, I defy you to eat only one.

Chocolate Coconut Slice

Kay's very own recipe. Makes approx. 12 squares.

Ingredients:
Slice1 cup plain flour
½ cup sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon cocoa
200g dark chocolate, melted
185g butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg, beaten
Icing1 cup icing sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
30g butter, melted
1½ tablespoons hot water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180’C. Lightly grease lamington tin (28cm x 18cm).

2. To make the slice, sift the flour, sugar and cocoa into bowl.

3. Stir through the coconut.

4. Add melted butter, melted chocolate, vanilla essence and egg and mix well.

5. Press mixture over base of tin. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool in tin.

6. To make icing, sift icing sugar and cocoa into a small bowl, add melted butter and water and mix until smooth and glossy.

7. When cool, ice while still in tin and allow icing to set. Cut into squares.