Makes 16 squares
This delicious slice requires just a handful of pantry staples and is a great way to use up any excess dried fruit.
I don’t know why but I’ve been feeling really anxious lately. I’ve been self medicating my anxiety with books and lots of them but I’m still as anxious as ever. After some soul searching and deep breathing, I realised that maybe I just need to bake because everyone knows baking makes everything better.
I think baking is the activity for all occasions, I bake when I’m happy, I bake when I’m sad, I bake when I’m anxious and I bake when I’m mad. It’s taken me a while to get back into my baking groove this year for a number of reasons – lots of work, lots of Netflix and seriously hot weather. I was sure my increased anxiety completely correlated with my lack of baking so I decided to put my theory to the test and see if I could bake my anxiety away.
Like all my best decisions, this was on the spur of the moment so I hadn’t prepared any ingredients or restocked the pantry. Cue more anxiety while I brainstormed what I could I bake with my handful of pantry staples. It turns out I can make this slice and very nice it is too – such a happy and delicious accident.
The pastry top and base is seriously short and the fruit filling is kind of like a cross between a mince pie and a garibaldi biscuit – did you ever eat those when you were young? I had a heap of dried fruit to use up after Christmas so I just used what I had – mixed fruit, sultanas and currants – but really in this slice anything goes! Use whatever dried fruit you like but don’t skip the dates because they add some special sweetness.
Talking of sweet, if you are not a fan of the super sweet then this slice is for you. With that buttery top and bottom and fruity filling, it’s rich but not overly sweet and it goes great with a cuppa. Of course, David doesn’t like dried fruit which means there is more for me! Winning!
And in case you’re wondering about the anxiety, I am pleased to report that I baked it away!
Have you got any anxiety busting tips? Do you bake your feelings too?
Ingredients
2 cups (300g) plain flour
1/3 cup (110g) icing sugar
250g cold butter, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 tablespoon caster sugar
FOR THE FRUIT FILLING
140g seeded dried dates, roughly chopped
80g sultanas
190g mixed dried fruit
How to – Traditional
- Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 20cm x 30cm rectangular pan, line base and sides with baking paper, extending the paper 5cm over the sides to make handles.
- In a food processor, blitz the flour, icing sugar and butter until combined and a dough has formed.
- Using a small palette knife, press half the dough into the pan. Cover the other half and pop it into the fridge. Bake the base for 15 minutes and allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, make the filling by blending or processing the mixed fruit until it’s chopped finely and it’s almost a thick paste consistency.
- Using slightly wet hands, press the filling over the baked base.
- Roll the remaining dough between 2 sheets of baking paper so that it’s big enough to cover the filling. Trim any excess, brush the top with a little water and sprinkle over the caster sugar.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes until golden. Cool slice in the pan before cutting.
How to – Thermomix
- Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 20cm x 30cm rectangular pan, line base and sides with baking paper, extending the paper 5cm over the sides to make handles.
- Place flour, icing sugar and butter in TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds on speed 6. Set the dial to closed lid position and mix for 30 seconds on interval speed or until dough has formed.
- Using a small palette knife, press half the dough into the pan. Cover the other half and pop it into the fridge. Bake the base for 15 minutes and allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the whole dates in TM bowl and blitz for a second or two on turbo until roughly chopped. Add the rest of the mixed fruit and blitz for another few seconds on turbo until it’s chopped finely and is almost a thick paste consistency.
- Using slightly wet hands, press the filling over the baked base.
- Roll the remaining dough between 2 sheets of baking paper so that it’s big enough to cover the filling. Trim any excess, brush the top with a little water and sprinkle over the caster sugar.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes until golden. Cool slice in the pan before cutting.
