Variations of this recipe can be found in school fete fundraiser
cookbooks, vintage magazines and probably your Aunty’s kitchen. It may not be a trendy ingredient but a tin
of Condensed Milk (which is milk and sugar) has been the backbone of Australian
rural and city kitchens for years and with good reason. It doesn’t need
refrigeration, has a long shelf life and often replaces butter and eggs in
baking and dessert recipes. Whilst the
fat and sugar content needs to be observed – this makes a generous sized Fruit
Slice and can be cut into small portion sizes.
There is also the option of freezing some for later.
The ingredient list is very flexible – add the fruits and nuts that you
enjoy or change it from time to time for a different flavour combination. Either way, it is a quick, easy and filling
slice – Enjoy!
And no – I’m not revealing the identity of “Fang”.
Preparation: 5 – 10 minutes
Cooking: 30 – 40 minutes
Tell the hungry hangers-on they will need to wait at least 30 minutes
for it to cool (good luck)
Ingredients
400 gram tin condensed milk (approx. size)
300 gram mixture of dried fruits - your choice. I like a combo of ‘mixed fruit’ and always add a good handful
dried cranberries for their ruby colour plus that tart zingy zing.
1 teaspoon of ground spices – your choice or combo of cinnamon, nutmeg
or cloves
100 gram of nuts and seeds – I like a combo of slivered almonds,
pistachios, seed mix including pumpkin seeds, pine nuts and sunflower seeds
plus some chia seeds
A small palmful (about 1 ½
- 2 tablespoons) each of Rolled
Oats and shredded coconut
1 cup of sifted Self Raising Flour
Option: Flaked Almonds to
sprinkle over the top.
Method
Preheat oven to 155 - 160˚ C and line a rectangular oven dish (approx.
29cm x 18cm x 5cm) with baking paper.
Using a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together so they are evenly
distributed.
Pour into the oven dish and smooth the top slightly. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds and push
them in, ever so lightly so they adhere to the mix.
Bake for 30 – 40 minutes depending on your oven. Check at 30 minutes. This is usually long enough. Should be firm to the touch and a nice golden colour on the almond
topping.
Leave in the tray to cool and firm up for 15 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack. Slice into bite size pieces.
Enjoy! Colleen
