Florentine Slice

Good as a biscuit, great as a slice.

375g packet mixed dried fruit

125g slivered almonds

200g mixed glace cherries, finely chopped

1/4 cup plain flour, sifted

150g butter, chopped

1/2 cup honey

1 egg, lightly beaten

200g good-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a 3cm-deep, 18cm x 28cm (base) slab pan. Line with baking paper (see note).
2. Combine dried fruit, almonds and cherries in a large bowl. Stir in the flour.
3. Combine butter and honey in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until butter melts. Allow to cool slightly. Add honey mixture and egg to fruit mixture. Mix until well combined.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside in pan to cool completely.
5. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50%) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Spread chocolate over cooled slice. Set aside for 2 hours or until set. Cut into pieces. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or until firm.

Mars Bar Slice

Stand on a street corner with this stuff, and just see how many new friends you make!

50g butter

1 tbs golden syrup

4 x 53g mars bars, finely chopped

3 cups (60g) rice bubbles

200g milk chocolate

20g copha

Method

1. Grease and line the base and side of a 19 x 29cm slice pan with baking paper, allowing the sides to overhang.
2. Combine the butter, golden syrup and three-quarters of the mars bars in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until mars bars and butter melt and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Place the rice bubbles and remaining mars bar in a large bowl. Add the mars bar mixture and stir until well combined. Spoon into the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Set aside for 1 hour to cool completely.
4. Place the chocolate and copha in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water, stir until chocolate melts. Pour chocolate over the top of the slice to evenly coat. Set aside for 30 minutes to set. Cut into squares to serve.

Muesli Slice

Very delish, and healthy too.

50g butter

110g (1/2 cup) raw sugar

60ml (1/4 cup) honey

200g pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1 Sanitarium Weet-bix, crushed

90g (1/2 cup) sultanas

50g (1/2 cup) rolled oats

75g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a 20cm (base measurement) square cake pan with non-stick baking paper. Place the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Combine the pepitas, Weet-bix, sultanas, oats and flour in a large bowl. Add the butter mixture and stir until combined.
3. Spoon the mixture into the lined pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until golden. Set aside in the pan for 30 minutes to cool completely. Cut into slices to serve.

Serious Chocolate Slice

Serious Chocolate Slice
Don't worry about the exact amounts in this. Near enough is good enough. There's no limit to how much chocolate you can cram into it either - I've experimented. It's not pretty, but it tastes very good.

1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tabs cocoa
125g butter, melted
400g can condensed milk
250g dark or milk chocolate

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease a lamington tray and line with baking paper. Combine flour, coconut, sugar, butter and condensed milk in a bowl and mix well. Spread into pan.
Press chocolate bits on top and bake for 30 minutes. Gently cut into pieces while still quite warm and sprinkle with icing sugar for decoration once cooled.

Variations: you can add white chocolate to this and leave out the cocoa so it's blonde, add mixed fruit and cherries, add some nuts on top, mix the chocolate in with everything else, use smarties instead of chocolate...anything.