As promised, here is the recipe for the Oat, Date, Apricot and Chocolate Slice that I wrote about in yesterday’s blog. It is a variation of a recipe from Merle’s Kitchen, a cookbook by Merle Parrish featuring traditional Australian country-style baked goodies. 

Even the most self-professed baking beginner will find this recipe easy. After a brief session of melting and mixing followed by a short stint in the oven, you will end up with a batch of beautiful slice; satisfyingly studded with fresh dates, dried apricots and bitter sweet chocolate. 

This Oat, Date, Apricot and Chocolate Slice is perfect to serve for morning or afternoon tea, easy to wrap and add to school lunch boxes and portable enough to enjoy at a picnic, or to sell at a school fete. 

It is robust enough to be stored in a sealed container in a cool part of the pantry for up to seven days. This is only applicable if keen little hands and enthusiastic appetites don’t demolish the lot first!

Oat, Date, Apricot and Chocolate Slice makes about 40 square pieces

Ingredients
4 cups rolled oats – not instant
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
300 g unsalted butter melted
4 tablespoons runny honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 fresh dates finely chopped
8 dried apricots finely chopped
100 grams dark bitter-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees on a conventional setting. Grease and line your baking tray/s. You can either use 2 trays measuring about 28 cm x 18 cm or a single larger tray approximately double this size. 

Melt the butter in a large, wide mixing bowl in the microwave. Stir through the honey. 

Add all of the dry ingredients and combine using a mixing spoon. 

Finally add the fruit and chocolate chips and fold thorough. 

Scrape the mixture into your prepared tin/s and spread out with a spatula. Then, with very clean hands, press the mixture firmly down making sure it is an even thickness throughout.This will ensure the slice cooks evenly without burning. 

Place into the preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes until it just starts to come away from the edges which have turned golden brown.

Leave it to cool to room temperature in the tin, then slice and arrange on a serving platter. Stand back, watch everyone reach for a first, then a second slice and soak up the praise!