Date Slice

Method11 steps · about 35 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Pre-heat oven to moderate (180 degrees celsius, fan-forced).

2. 2

   Step 2: Grease a slice tin about 28 × 18 cm and line with baking paper, leaving overhang to lift out the cooled slice.

3. 3

   Step 3: Choose either the self-raising flour (1 cup) or the plain flour sifted with its two teaspoons baking powder. Combine the chosen flour mixture, caster sugar (1/4 cup), one cup coconut and chopped-then-measured dates in a bowl.

   Uses 1 cup self-raising flour for base · 1/4 cup caster sugar for base · 1 cup desiccated coconut · 1 cup chopped pitted dates · 1 cup plain flour only for the self-raising-flour substitute · 2 teaspoons baking powder only with the plain-flour substitute

4. 4

   Step 4: Place butter (125 grams) and golden syrup (2 tablespoons) in a saucepan and stir over low heat until butter has melted. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract (1 teaspoon).

   Uses 125 grams butter · 2 tablespoons golden syrup (or corn syrup) · 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5. 5

   Step 5: Pour melted mixture into mixing bowl containing dry ingredients and stir well to combine.

   Uses Prepared flour-sugar-coconut-date mixture · Melted butter-syrup-vanilla mixture

6. 6

   Step 6: Pour mixture into slice tin and press into tin evenly using the back of a dessert spoon.

   Uses Prepared date slice mixture

7. 7

   Step 7: Bake at 180°C fan-forced for about twenty minutes, until cooked. Prepare the lemon icing during the last five minutes of this bake so it is ready to spread on the hot slice.

   Bake slice · 20 minUses Date slice mixture pressed into tin

8. 8

   Step 8: While the twenty-minute bake runs, set a fifteen-minute reminder from the start of baking, then prepare the icing in the next step at that point.

   Fifteen minutes into the bake: start icing · 15 minUses Date slice during its twenty-minute bake

9. 9

   Step 9: During the last five minutes of baking, mix the two cups icing sugar, fifteen grams melted icing butter (15 grams) and two tablespoons juice from the lemon. Add more of that lemon juice as needed for spreadable icing; the source lemon supplies about two to three tablespoons.

   Uses 2 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar) · 15 grams butter, melted · Juice from one lemon: start with two tablespoons, then adjust

10. 10

    Step 10: Pour icing over slice once you remove it from the oven. Sprinkle with coconut, if desired.

    Uses Freshly baked hot date slice · Prepared lemon icing · 2 teaspoons desiccated coconut for topping, optional

11. 11

    Step 11: Allow to cool to room temperature and then remove from tin and cut into squares using a sharp knife.

    Uses Hot-iced date slice with optional topping coconut