Raspberry and Coconut Slice
I'm taking you back to the classics now. Back to when you were a child and you would come home from school and your mum or dad had just finished making a fresh baked good. The whole house smelt wonderful and you were excited to eat whatever it was that smelt so appealing. They would sit you down and serve you a slice. You were happy as a clam because you were a child and eating food was one of the best things that would happen during the day. This raspberry 'n coconut slice brings me back to the good ol' days, when everything was simpler. The combination of the base, raspberry jam and coconut is a simple, yet really addictive. The jam melts into the base to create a soft and chewy layer but the very bottom of the base is still crunchy. The coconut turns to a beautiful golden colour in the oven, which changes the way it tastes. It goes from being the simple coconut flavour known by many, to a sweet, crispy, melt in your mouth texture.
The raspberry jam is homemade and is by far the best one I've created! Jam isn't hard to make but the amount of sweetener you need to add depends on the berry you use. In this recipe I've decided to use a little more sweetener than I normally would, simply because the frozen raspberries I used were quite tart. If you have sweet raspberries, you most definitely can lower the amount of added maple syrup. It is also depends on how sweet you like your jam....and I love my jam sweet! This slice is
a classic favourite
vegan
refined sugar free
crispy AND chewy
sweet
packed with flavour
....So what are you waiting for? Let's get baking!
RASPBERRY 'N COCONUT SLICE
Makes 12 Time: Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes Total time: 50 minutes + cooling Things You'll Need Raspberry Jam (makes 1 cup) - 3 cups raspberries, frozen - 3 tablespoons maple syrup (begin with 2 and add more depending on how sweet you like it) - 2 tablespoons black chia seeds Base - 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal - 3 tablespoons water - 80 grams light tasting olive oil - 70 grams coconut sugar - 1 cup wholemeal plain flour - 1 teaspoon baking powder - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Coconut Topping - 1 and 3/4 cup shredded coconut (Sourced from Naked Foods Braddon) - 3 tablespoons maple syrup - 2 tablespoons light tasting olive oil Method: 1. Begin by making the jam. Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring the berries to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. As the berries become hot, they will begin to soften and create a liquid consistency. Stirring occasionally, let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, then take it off the heat and save for later. The jam should be thick and all of the berries should have turned to mush. 2. While the jam is simmering away make the base. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced (355°F) and line a 20 cm x 20 cm square cake tin with baking paper. 3. Make the flax egg by mixing the flaxseed meal and water together in a small bowl and placing in the fridge for 10 minutes to set. 4. In a large bowl using hand held beaters, beat together the light tasting olive oil and coconut sugar for 1 minute. Add in the flax egg and beat again for another minute. By now the colour of the mixture should've turned to a paler brown. Add the wholemeal plain flour, baking powder and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Press dough into the lined baking pan and cook in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove. 5. While that's baking make the coconut topping. In the large bowl, mix together the coconut, maple syrup and light tasting olive oil. Put aside. 5. Now to assemble! Evenly spread 3/4 cup of the jam mixture onto the base. There will be some jam mix leftover. Then sprinkle the coconut on top of the jam. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, rotating 180° at the 15 minute mark. If the coconut looks to be perfectly brown but the timer hasn't finished, cover the top with some aluminium foil to stop the coconut from burning. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin. Slice into 12 squares and serve. Store slice covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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