“There are times when wisdom cannot be found in the chambers of parliament or the halls of academia but at the unpretentious setting of the kitchen table.”
~ E.A. Bucchianeri
As promised, here is the first recipe in my ‘Slice Extravaganza’ series – the brainchild of my mother, who must be acknowledge for her great generosity in lending me the Family Recipe Book from which this recipe is taken. Thanks, Mum!
This is a delightful slice – a crispy, crunchy but delicate base with a tangy lemon topping. Perfect with a morning coffee or an afternoon cup of tea.
It’s also a confidence-building recipe for kitchen beginners and young cooks.
Base Ingredients:
1 x cup of self raising flour (self-rising for my USA friends or 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 and 1/2 x teaspoons baking powder and a pinch of salt, sifted together), 1 x cup of unsweetened desiccated coconut, 1/2 cup of lightly packed soft brown sugar, 1/2 cup (4 oz or 125 grams) melted butter
*Note – for vegans, use a vegetable butter substitute. If you’re gluten intolerant, this works fine with a commercial gluten-free flour mix.
Method:
Preheat oven to moderate (160 degree celcius fan-forced or 180 degree oven – 350 degrees fahrenheit).
Line a 28cm x 18cm (9 inch by 13 inch) slice tin with some baking paper.
Measure the dry ingredients into a large bowl and then mix through the melted butter. The mixture should be moist and crumbly.
Press the mixture lightly into the tin. DO NOT PRESS DOWN HEAVILY!
Place your slice into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the top is a nice golden brown colour.
Lemon Icing Ingredients: (Frosting for you USA folk!)
1 and 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar mixture (confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar),1 x tablespoon of soft butter, finely grated zest of one lemon, 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Additional coconut to sprinkle on top. (Shredded coconut is lovely for this!)
Method:
Mix the ingredients together with enough of the lemon juice to make a smooth, creamy consistency.
Spread the icing mixture over the slice while it is still warm. Sprinkle coconut over the warm icing and leave to cool in tin. DO resist cutting before it cools, or you will end up with a crumbly mess!
Cut into squares to serve, and store in an airtight container. I’m sure you’ll agree, it’s delicious!
Thanks for this recipe. Made it for church last week & it was a hit. This week I’m subbing the lemon for lime 🙂
With lime? I’ll be that tastes delicious! Thanks for dropping by 🙂
Howdy,made the lemon butter and this tonight,but found the icing wasn’t enough to cover,not sure what I did wrong..but loving your recipes..thanks
Leon, did you put the icing on the slice while it was still very warm? It only gives a thin coverage, but it should be enough to cover the entire slice. If the slice is still warm the icing thins as it is applied, and glides neatly over the top. Or you could always make a double batch if you prefer a thick icing! I’m glad you enjoy my recipes. Thanks for the lovely feedback 🙂
Hi,thanks for the reply,yeah I did make a little extra batch and it covered nicely,I took some of this slice and the lemon butter to my mum today,and she just rang and said they are delish..iv bookmarked your site..thank you
Even I can make it!!! 😀 Delish!! xoxo
Love it! And thanks for the tip about self-raising flour.
You’re welcome 🙂 xx
It was so easy to make! 🙂 Thank you for sharing we all love it. Always love new lunch box ideas and will be letting the kids have a go at cooking this. Xx
Yay! I hope the kids have fun with it. Learning to cook is such an important life skill. Kisses and hugs to you xoxo
Yummy!! If I were to add some oats into the base would I need to add more wet? Or just swap out some flour?
Portia xx
Portia, I’d add in say 1/2 cup of oats and either an egg or another tablespoon of butter
Thank you. I will do so. can’t wait to try it.
Portia xx
You’ll be able to tell if it’s too wet or too dry. If it’s too dry it won’t press together, and if it’s too wet it will be greasy/tacky and stick to everything. It’s the sort of recipe you can fiddle with quite easily. I’m sure you’ll work it out!
Thank you Nicole, I have been waiting for this recipe ever since you wrote about it. I didn’t expect it to be so easy to make. I will be using gluten free flour and I don’t see where there would be a problem converting this recipe. I will let you know how it turns out.
Cindy, straight after I made my standard version, I whipped up another with gluten-free flour that I’d bought from the local supermarket to test if it converted okay. It worked perfectly! We all need treats, and my tummy prefers gluten-free too 🙂
delectable 😀 !!
Do try it, Brie – it’s wonderful 😀 xx
Thanks Nicole, always grateful for a delicious treat for a tea break and I’m sure it will be a lunch box winner Nx
It was one of my favourite lunchbox treats when I was a girl! Big love to you xx