Caramel Slice

There's just something about condensed milk, that I have a special place in my heart for it. Could it be my Filipino background? My parents would tell me stories about not having fresh milk available until they came to Australia, and so condensed milk (which will keep indefinitely in an unopened can) was a staple in every Filipino pantry. It is the star ingredient in signature Filipino desserts such as leche flan and even halo-halo (think Filo snow cones). My mother can eat it spread onto "Skyflakes" crackers and I grew up eating it mixed into soft, ripe mashed avocado! So it has now also become a staple in my pantry.

The following recipe is nothing complex, nothing special, but it is nevertheless delicious. It is so common that you find it in magazine clippings and on the back of the can of condensed milk! The humble caramel slice. I like to think of it as a gigantic Twix bar! Growing up in Sydney, the ubiquitous caramel slice was always available to me - train station kiosk, coffee cart, cafe, and from the hundreds of Asian bakeries around town!

CARAMEL SLICE

Melt 1/2 a block of butter.

Combine 1 cup of plain flour, 1/2 cup dessicated coconut and 1/2 cup brown sugar.

Mix in the butter. It will seem like there isn't enough but just keep mixing. It'll come together.

Press into a lined brownie tin. I used a pestle to roll the mixture out into the edges of the tin.

Bake at 160 C for 20-25 minutes (I like it a golden brown colour)

Leave to cool in the tin.

In the meantime, place 2 cans of condensed milk, 100g of chopped butter and 1/3 cup golden syrup into a saucepan. Stir over low heat until everything melts together.

Pour carefully over your cooled base then bake at 160 C again for about 25-30 minutes or whenever the caramel gets a nice tan!

Don't aim for "setting" the caramel - it will still be gooey/wobbly.

DO NOT PANIC! The ugly bubbly/blistery surface will be completely covered in chocolate!

When the caramel is cool, melt some dark chocolate melts in a bain marie.

Add a splash of vegetable oil - this will help make it runny.

The amount of chocolate will depend on how thick you like your chocolate layer - and the size of your tin.

I used a whole packet (250g) to get nearly 1cm thickness. So use less if you like a thin layer.

Pour it over the cooled caramel while still hot - this will help to keep it runny so that it flows evenly to the edges.

Carefully place in the fridge to set.

Use a sharp knife to cut into squares.