Ingredients
Base
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
125g butter, melted
Filling
300g cherries, chopped from the seed then diced, seeds discarded
397g can sweetened condensed milk
3 cups desiccated coconut
Red food colouring
Icing
200g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
20g copha
Method
1.Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 16cm x 26cm slice pan with baking paper, allowing the sides to overhang.
2. Combine the flour, sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Add the butter and stir to combine. Spoon into the lined pan. Press mixture evenly over the base of the pan. Bake for 10 mins or until firm to the touch.
3. Cook the cherries with a dash of water in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until a jammy consistency is reached.
4. Combine the cherries, condensed milk and coconut in a bowl. Add 1-2 dashes pink food colouring. Stir to combine. Spoon over the slice base. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Bake for a further 20-25 mins or until firm to the touch. Set aside for 30 mins to cool.
5. Place the chocolate and copha in a microwave proof bowl and microwave in 20 second intervals until melted, stirring in-between. Pour over the coconut mixture. Smooth the surface. Refrigerate for 30 mins or until set.
Slices can be refrigerated for 5 days or frozen.
Recipe by Wade Drummond and photos by Jessica Wyld for Genuinely Southern Forests.