Date, Pear & Walnut Slice
This slice is a great lunch box and tummy filler.
Preparation time: 20 mins + Cooking time: 30 minutes
You need
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour (I used wholewheat flour)
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar (vary amount according to your own sweet tooth)
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
6 to 8 dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Wet Ingredients:
100g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup chopped pear pieces (use either fresh, ripe pear or canned)
To make
Preheat oven to 180C. You need a 24cm (9.5 inch) square baking/slice pan or equivalent. Grease the pan and line it with baking paper, allowing the paper to overhang the sides (making for easy removal of the slice when it's cooked - see photo above).
In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients except the bicarb soda.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter, golden syrup and 1 tbsp hot water and cook, stirring over low heat until the butter has completed melted. Remove from heat and stir in the bicarb soda. Add this to the dry ingredients along with the pear and the egg, and combine well.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Using your hands, spread the mixture out evenly across the base of the pan pushing it to the sides and into the corners. Pat it down and smooth it with the flat of your hand to ensure even thickness.
To cook
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and firm to touch. Allow the slice to cool for 1/2 hour in the pan and then using the overhanging baking paper, gently lift it out of the pan and on to a flat surface for cutting. This slice will happily keep in an airtight container for several days (in the fridge if you think it necessary).
