I spent my schooldays at boarding school from age 10 because my mum was single and hardworking. I wasn’t particularly enamoured with the idea of boarding school to start with but it wasn’t too long before I loved it hard. It was just like all those Enid Blyton Malory Towers books I’d read!
Of course, this was in the olden days before email and the like and we were only allowed to phone home once a week. In the first weeks of the first year, my mum would send me a letter written inside a beautiful notelet every single day. I would open the envelope and pin each notelet on the cork board above my bed. After about three weeks and quite a collection of notelets, a friend asked me the news from home and I said I didn’t know. I hadn’t read a single one of my mum’s letters because I thought I’d feel too homesick and cry. “But what if your mum is writing to you about something important?” my friend asked. The thought had never occurred to me! After that I read every letter my mum ever sent me.
The reason I tell you my boarding school story (one of very many) is because we only got to go home every three weeks, on a leave weekend then a half term holiday, followed by another leave weekend and then the end of term holiday. Every time I went home, the kitchen cupboards would be full of my favourite sweet treats, chocolate crackles included. I remember my mum used to get them from the supermarket, they’d be round and already cut into segments. Mum always knew that they were my favourite.
Nothing much has changed. I still love chocolate crackle slice (except now I make my own) and instead of writing, I speak to my mum every day instead. Sometimes, technology is a wonderful thing!
I’ve added a drizzle of chocolate to this slice, because two times the chocolate is twice as nice. The chocolate crackles my mum bought always had the sultanas, and the chocolate coatedness of the dried fruit in this recipe is just sooo good! Of course, now there’s just the language barrier to get through! In the UK we call this cereal Rice Krispies and in Australia we call these Rice Bubbles – it’s all just so confusing! Whatever you call this cereal, this slice is so nice!
What was your favourite childhood treat? Do you have fond memories of your school days?
Makes 16 squares
Ingredients
150g dark chocolate, chopped coarsely
100g unsalted butter, chopped coarsely
60g golden syrup
100g rice bubbles/krispies
75g sultanas, optional
50g milk or dark chocolate, melted
How to – Traditional
- Grease 20cm x 30 cm (8 inch x 12 inch) rectangular pan, line base and long sides with baking paper.
- Melt the chopped chocolate in a large bowl, over a pan of simmering water on a low heat for about 4 minutes, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl.
- When the chocolate is smooth and has melted completely, add the butter and syrup and allow to stand for a minute, before gently folding in and then removing the bowl from the pan.
- Add the rice bubbles and sultanas, if using, and fold in quickly but gently. Transfer the mixture into the prepared tray. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Cut into squares.
- Using a teaspoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the squares. Store slice in an airtight container for up to a week.
How to – Thermomix
- Grease 20cm x 30 cm (8 inch x 12 inch) rectangular pan, line base and long sides with baking paper.
- Melt the chopped chocolate, butter and golden syrup in TM bowl for 3 minutes at 60 degrees on speed 2.
- Add the rice bubbles and sultanas and combine for 15 seconds on reverse speed 2. Transfer the mixture into the prepared tray. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Cut into squares.
- Using a teaspoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the squares. Store slice in an airtight container for up to a week.
