Baking Inspiration – Uncooked Slices

Trawling through Annabel Langbein’s book for something completely unrelated, I happened across these recipes and remembered some old summer favorites, which will get unearthed again once we are on holiday with a bit more time on our hands. These uncooked crushed biscuit slices are real treat food, and generally saved for holidays for that reason.

Ginger and Apricot Biscuit Slice
100 g butter
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk,
1 cup dried apricots finely chopped
1/2 cup crystallised ginger finely chopped
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp lemon juice
375 g plain sweet biscuits, crushed

Melt butter and condensed milk in a pot.  Combine with all other ingredients, press into a 30x 24 sponge roll tin and refrigerate until set.

Make lemon icing with 50g melted butter mixed with 3 tbsp boiling water, 1 tsp lemon juice and 3 1/2 cups icing sugar.

Spread over base and sprinkle with chopped pistachios and crystallized ginger.

Source: Annabel Langbein Free Range in the City

This second slice is extraordinarily rich, but delicious – only for very special occasions!

Chocolate Coconut ice Slice

150 g melted butter
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 cup icing suagar
2 tsp vanilla extract
375 g plain sweet biscuits, crushed

Chocolate Coconut Icing

200g dark chocolate
40 g butter
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
3 tbsp boiling water
1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut

Melt butter, condensed milk and golden syrup together. Mix in remaining ingredients and press into 30×24 cm tin and refrigerate until set.

Source: Annabel Langbein Free Range in the City

To make icing, melt chocolate, stir in butter, icing sugar and water then add coconut last.  Spread over base and leave to set

Treats for Boys on Holiday

Everybody breathes sighs of relief as exams finish and the l-o-o-ong summer holiday starts.  Baking consumption usually goes up around this time, and this week’s treat was a choc chip biscuit with just a tiny hint of goodness (rolled oats) to make the mother feel less guilty.  Another amazing recipe from Baking Dish.

Double Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp sea salt (gives that delicious salted caramel flavour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice
3/4 cup each of white and dark chocolate buttons (change the type and quantity of these as you please, would also work with sultans / raisins for a healthier option)
3/4 cup melted butter (around 150g I think)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 170 C.

Combine dry ingredients and chocolate in one bowl, mix all other ingredients in another. Stir together to combine well.

Place tablespoonfuls of the dough on baking trays, with room to spread.  Flatten very lightly with the back of a fork.

Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until golden.

Another favourite choc chip biscuit are known as Finn’s twice-baked biscuits, since he would help me make these when he was a toddler, and they became known in the neighbourhood as Finn’s biscuits.  These are a great crisp compact biscuit.

Finn’s Twice Baked Choc Chip Biscuits

250g softened butter
½ cup caster sugar
½ can sweetened condensed milk
2 ½ cups flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add other ingredients and beat until combined.

Roll heaped teaspoons of mixture into balls, place balls onto greased oven trays about 4 cm apart; flatten lightly with a fork. Bake at 180 C about 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown; cool biscuits on trays.

Bake cooled biscuits at 180C about 8 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 45 smallish biscuits.

Source : Best Sellers for Fairs and Fetes (AWW)