Peppermint slice

Peppermint slice
Originally uploaded by Cakelaw

Treats that your mother makes for you as a child often have fond associations as an adult. My mother often made jam and coconut slice, rolled oat biscuits, jam drops, pusher biscuits, caramel tarts and apple crumble. On a semi-regular basis, she also made peppermint slice, consisting of an irresistable combination of a biscuit base, smooth and icy peppermint filling and rich chocolate topping.

Recently, I came across a number of recipes for peppermint slice, and longed to make it to transport me back to childhood - a least temporarily! This slice is very rich, so a small square is more than enough.

The recipe that I used, adapted from a number of other recipes that I found, is as follows:

Base

1 3/4 cups plain flour
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
180g melted butter

Filling

60g Copha (vegetable shortening)
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tspn peppermint essence
2 tbspns cream
1 tbspn milk

Topping

185g dark chocolate
30g Copha

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsuis. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm slice tin, with paper hanging over the long edges (to be used as a handle to lift out the slice later).

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then add the brown sugar. Add the melted butter and combine. Press mixture into slice tin and bake for 20 minutes. Leave to cool.

Melt Copha, then stir in the icing sugar, cream, milk and peppermint essence. Spread mixture over cooled base, then place in the refrigerator to set.

Melt chocolate and Copha for topping in a bowl over a simmering saucepan of water. Pour over peppermint layer and refrigerate until set.

Lift set slice out of the tin, and cut into 24 squares. Enjoy!