Chocolate Slice

Chocolate Slice

This is a recipe handed down from my mother that we refer to as 'Mrs White's Chocolate Biscuits'. Mrs White lived on a neighbouring farm to my mother and her family in regional Queensland in the 1950s. She'd often whip up this slice for the families as a treat. Its more a slice than a biscuit and is great as a treat for the lunchbox.This slice would also freeze well, however I've never been able to test that theory as these slices are quickly devoured! If freezing for school lunches, wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap and store in a labelled zip lock bag or freezer-proof container.

Chocolate Slice

Butter, ½ cup
Sugar, ½ cup (caster sugar is best, but also works with white or raw sugar)
Egg, 1 large
Plain flour, 1 cup
Cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (reduce to 160 for fan-forced oven) and grease and line a slice tray.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add egg and beat well.
3. Add the cocoa and flour and mix well.
4. Spread mixture into the slice tray and flatten down.
5. Cook for approximately 15 minutes until the biscuit starts to leave the sides of the tray and feels cooked, but still soft to the touch on top. Remove immediately from oven.
6. While hot, ice with chocolate icing (see below) and top with 100s and 1000s or rainbow sprinkles if desired.
7. Once cooled cut into slices.

Basic Chocolate Icing

Icing sugar, 1 cup
Butter, 1 tablespoon
Cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon
Boiling water, 1 tablespoon

Mix all ingredients together. If needed, add more boiling water to get a consistency of honey. This icing will set hard once it cools.

Summer Prawn Salad

This salad is healthy, delicious and impressive. I've included only rough measurements here. As its simply a salad you can't go wrong. Feel free to substitute ingredients or add more or less than I've suggested.

In a large bowl mix:

• 750g peeled cooked medium prawns (I bought these already peeled, but with tail intact, life is too short to peel prawns)
• 2 cups cubed gold sweet potato (peel, chop into small cubes and wack in the microwave for 5 minutes with a little water. When cooked run cold water over potato to cool it down)
• Large handful of sliced snow peas (top and tail then slice into three or four pieces)
• 2 nectarines (halve, remove seed and slice super finely, you could use peaches as a substitute)
• Salad dressing: juice of two limes, a splash of oil (I used olive oil as that was all I had available), salt and pepper to taste.
• Herbs - add herbs of your choice. Dill would work (but personally I can't stand it) as would basil or coriander.

For a more Asian inspired salad you could use sesame oil instead of olive oil, add a dash of soy sauce, tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds, chopped coriander and chopped chilli.