Chocolate coconut slice
Ever had those moments when you just have to improvise and make do on a recipe? Today was one of them, I set out to make Al Brown’s Mint Slice. It’s a delicious biscuit, mint and chocolate teatime slice that’s bad for your gnashers but goes so well with a cuppa.
It was going to be so good, I intended to tweak the recipe to capture something of the 80’s English classic ‘After 8’ mints. Mmm how I loved those delicate wafer thin slices of individually wrapped dark chocolate and mint cream.
But my plan came to a screeching halt. I was unable to procure peppermint essence, despite making visits to big Coles and little Coles – “Mr Coles, please note I’d like you to stock peppermint essence before Christmas please”. Not prepared to go sliceless, I decided to adjust the recipe to coconut instead (but not before I considered using toothpaste for the mint filling).
The Oreo/milk biccy combo makes for a solid but delicious base, as Grand Design’s Kevin McCleod would say “without a good foundation, this type of design wouldn’t have a leg to stand on”. The overall result is a fraction on the sweet side for me. I also feel it could do with a little more coconut punch, nonetheless, it’s still a tasty morsel. But peppermint would have aced it though.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Base
- 1 pack of Oreo cookies – remove the white goop
- ½ packet of arrowroot or milk biscuits
- 170g unsalted butter
- 170g sugar – I used a mix of raw sugar and brown sugar
- 5 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp. shredded coconut
- 1 egg
Coconut filling
- 50g unsalted butter
- 1½ cups icing sugar
- 3 tbsp. shredded coconut
- 4-5 tbsp. boiling coconut water or water
- 6 drops coconut essence – get the best quality you can find
Topping
- 350g good quality dark chocolate
- 45g unsalted butter
Method
- Line a flan dish or medium size slice tin, with baking paper. Set aside.
- Put the sugar and butter for the base into a pan and melt over a low heat. When it starts to melt add the cocoa powder. Stir occasionally.
- Once you’ve removed the sticky white gloop from the Oreos put them with the other biscuits in the blender until they resemble fine breadcrumbs and empty into a large bowl.
- Once the mixture has melted allow to cool for 1 minute only. Beat the egg and stir into the butter mix. Pour the butter mix into the biscuit crumbs and stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Empty biscuit mix into the tin/dish and press down firmly. Chill in the fridge.
- In a clean bowl, mix the icing sugar, coconut essence, coconut and butter. Gradually add the boiling coconut water/water until you have a smooth but not runny paste.
- Pour over the biscuit base and return to the fridge to set.
- Now melt the chocolate, rather than faff with the glass bowl in a pan of boiling water, I just chucked the broken chocolate into a Pyrex bowl and put in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes until melted. Once melted add the butter, stir then pour over the coconut layer of your ‘slice’.
- Return to fridge until if has set hard.
- Pop the kettle on and enjoy.
What’s your greatest improvised recipe result?
Balance – robust choconut slice with delicate tea
About the Author
Gareth Englishman in Sydney loves a whisky, pies and all things savoury. Digital Marketer by day, cook the rest of the time. Amateur writer, photographer & aspiring anthropologists.
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Egads I can’t believe you couldn’t find peppermint essence! Is there a shortage I’m not aware of! I reckon this would have been awesome with peppermint. Coconut sounds like a tasty consolation though.
Coconut was good and I found peppermint essence in the evening. Round two to come, once I’ve eaten the first lot.