Store Cupboard Slice

, from Issue #50. August, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Store Cupboard Slice

Ever tidied your pantry and ended up with half-used packets of nuts, dried fruits, granola and seeds? This is the perfect recipe for transforming them into a quick and delicious dessert. You need a total of two cups of dried mix from whatever you have available and that your family enjoys.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups dried mix (I used: ½ cup shredded coconut; ½ cup sultanas; ¼ cup slivered almonds; ¼ cup pumpkin seeds; ¼ cup gluten-free rolled oats; ¼ cup chocolate bits)
1¼ cups nut butter, use peanut, almond or cashew nut
½ cup caster sugar
½ teaspoon each ground ginger and cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg

38 cm x 25 cm tray, greased and lined with baking paper

Chocolate fudge sauce
¾ cup brown sugar
100 grams butter
½ cup cream
30 grams dark chocolate, roughly chopped

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 170˚C.

Mix the nut butter, caster sugar, spices and baking powder together until well combined. Beat in the egg then the dried mix.

Press the mixture firmly and evenly onto the tray and bake for about 15 minutes until golden, turning the tray for even browning if needed.

Cool in the tray. The slice is very soft until fully cooled and will fall apart if cut when warm.

To serve: Break the slice into pieces and serve with ice cream and the chocolate fudge sauce or fresh fruit with a berry sauce.

Try any combination of the following:
Raisins, sultanas, apricots, prunes, figs, crystallized ginger
Peanuts, almonds, cashew nuts, brazil nuts, pecans, pine nuts
Rolled oats, gluten-free oats, granola with fruit and nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, mixed spice, cardamom
Chopped dark and white chocolate

Chocolate fudge sauce: Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and slowly bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 2 minutes then tip into a jug. Serve warm. Makes about 1 cup