Cherry ripe slice

Cherry ripe slice

Love Cherry Ripe bars? Then you'll adore this easy slice! With a baked biscuit layer, it combines a sweet cherry filling with luscious dark chocolate top. Rich and delicious, you won't be able to stop at one piece.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups self raising flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 ½ cups coconut
• 250g butter or margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 200g good quality dark chocolate
• 25g copha

Cherry filling

• 200g desiccated coconut
• 400g condensed milk
• 200g glace cherries, chopped
• 3-4 drops red food colouring (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Grease a slice tray (mine is 31 cm x 22cm). Combine flour, cocoa and coconut.

Place butter (or margarine) in a saucepan with sugar and heat until butter has melted.

Pour butter over dry ingredients, mix well and press into tray.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

For the filling, combine all ingredients and mix well.

Spread over warm chocolate base (patience is a virtue).

Melt chocolate and copha in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave.

Stir until melted and smooth then pour over cherry filling.

Refrigerate until set.

Cut into small triangles, bars or slices.

To cut neatly through the chocolate, dip a knife in hot water and cut through the chocolate first.

Then cut through the base of the slice.

Notes:

• My mum is a huge fan of Cherry ripe bars and I have adapted this recipe from one of hers.
• I used the base of the Chocolate coconut slice , but for a simpler method, line the tray with baking paper and place Morning Coffee biscuits over the base.
• I made this gluten-free using 1 cup of tapioca flour (from Asian grocers), 1 cup gluten-free plain flour (Orgran brand) and 3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder