This slice delivers on flavour whilst been wholesome and “healthy”.

Christmas time is especially difficult for me because of food. I struggle a lot with the guilt of eating and the amount of food. It seems silly really. I love cooking and I love food, but I have this sense of guilt around food. I do my best to temper it but sometimes it gets the better of me and I go into a spiral of not eating, eating too much and healthifying every recipe. This recipe is from one of my “healthified” food phases, but it actually tastes good, so I’m keeping it.

A millionaires shortbread is basically what we call caramel slice. It has a biscuit base, caramel layer and chocolate topping. Of course the OG caramel slice is hard to beat, and actually I am not claiming to have beaten it. Instead this is an easier, quicker and tasty replacement for the real thing. I will be putting up a recipe for my caramel slice soon but until then you will have to settle for this.

I have included a recipe for simple nut butter, but you are welcome to buy some. I would recommend using a nice, organic peanut butter or almond butter. I use a particular ratio of nuts for my butter, a quarter walnuts with the remainder being whatever nuts I want to use. In this particular instance I’ve use toasted walnuts, almonds and cashews.

Simple Nut butter

2 cups cashews and almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
flaky salt
touch of maple syrup (if you need sweetness, I don’t add this)

To churn the butter

Preheat oven to 160’C.
Prepare a baking tray with paper or silpat.
Place nuts on tray in an even layer and toast for 8-10 minutes
Remove from oven and place in food processor or nutri bullet and whiz until smooth (or leave chunky if you prefer).
Season with salt to taste. Place in a clean jar until required.

The Slice

Makes 1 slice

The Base

1 cup coconut flour/almond meal
1/2 cup coconut oil/macadamia oil
3 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs nut butter
salt

The Middle

1 1/4 cup medjool dates (or normal dates but soak them in water for an hour)*
1/4 cup nut butter
2 Tbs oat milk/almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
salt
toasted almonds

The Top

180 g 75 % or higher Dark Chocolate
2 Tbs nut butter

To make the slice

Preheat the oven to 180’C (I use a fan forced oven)
Prepare a lamington tin (20 x 30 cm) or square tin with baking paper.*
Melt the coconut oil if solid/using.
In a medium bowl place dry ingredients and using a wooden spoon mix to combine.
Add the oil and nut butter to dry ingredients and mix well.
Press mixture into tin.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove slice from oven and place on cooling rack and allow to cool in tin.
You can turn the oven off now. You don’t need it.

To make the filling

Place all ingredients (except the toasted nuts) into a food processor/nutri bullet, and process until smooth. If too dry add more nut/oat milk.
Spread over cool base, sprinkle over chopped nuts and place into freezer or fridge to set.

To make the topping

Place the chocolate and nut butter into a bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water. Just a quick reminder, do not add water to chocolate unless you’re doing a water ganache. DO NOT MIX WATER WITH CHOCO!!!
Stir until chocolate is melted and combined with the nut butter.
Spread over set caramel and place into freezer or fridge to set.
Cut into even squares. EAT IT!*

Notes:

*I make this in a loaf tin sometimes to get more height on the caramel (as seen in the pictures).

*You can use dried figs instead of dates or a combination.

*You can change the nuts and use different nuts or seeds if you got nut allergies.

*I store my slice in an airtight container in the freezer and it keeps for months. You can store in an airtight container in the fridge too.

final thoughts…

Okay, so I watched and finished the Brigantine show. Some good viewing there. I hate period dramas but I watched the whole damn thing. It’s basically gossip girl set a few centuries back.

I started watching Shadow Hunters again. I love the casting choice for the male characters. DAYUM!

Amelia xx