Australians love slices, and caramel is one of the most popular and delicious. Caramel slices are available in most bakeries and are often made for school and other fetes. They are distinctive from similar desserts in other countries as they feature desiccated coconut in the base, which gives it a slightly chewy and sweet texture.

This recipe uses a combination of dark and milk chocolate topping to achieve a milky but still rich chocolate taste. If you live outside of Australia please note that desiccated coconut is dry, and not the same as the sweetened coconut that is available in the U.S. and some other countries.

While this recipe is not difficult to make, it does take time as you will need time to cool down the base and caramel layers, and then refrigerate the caramel. The chocolate topping will also need time to be set. If you prefer you can make the dish over a couple of days, such as making the base and the caramel on one day and then finishing it off with the chocolate topping on the second day.

You will need to keep a close eye on the caramel to ensure that it doesn’t burn, and make sure to keep stirring it to stop any build up on the bottom of the pan. If you do develop harder bits you can use a whisk to break these up.

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INGREDIENTS

For the Base

1 cup of plain flour

1/2 cup of desiccated coconut 

1/2 cup of brown sugar

8 tablespoons of butter, melted

For the Caramel

2 396 grams tins of evaporated milk

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

4 tablespoons golden syrup

8 tablespoons butter, melted

For the topping

1/2 cup dark melting chocolate

1/2 cup milk melting chocolate

1 tablespoon coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180C or 350 F.

2. Sift the flour and brown sugar into a bowl and then add the desiccated coconut and melted butter. Mix thoroughly. The base should be firm but still slightly moist.

3. Grease a 9 by 9 inch pan or line with parchment paper. Press the base ingredients into the pan so that it is spread equally.

4. Place in the oven and bake for around 14-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.

5. For the caramel layer, combine the evaporated milk, brown sugar, golden syrup and butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until the ingredients are completely combined and the mixture should be a medium thickness.

6. Pour the caramel over the cooled base and bake in the oven for around 10 – 15 minutes. The caramel is set when there is at most a slight wobble when the pan is shaken and the color is golden. Remove and let cool completely. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours until set.

7. Boil a large saucepan of water and then place a second, smaller saucepan or heat proof bowl in the boiling water. Add the dark and milk melting chocolate and coconut oil to the pan without the direct heat and mix until melted and combined. Pour the chocolate over the caramel slices. Refrigerate until set.

8. Cut the slice into squares and enjoy!