Peppermint slice

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Chelsea’s peppermint slice (with fresh mint)

This isn’t your average boring old bakery-style peppermint slice — this bad boy has a whole bag of fresh mint in it. A rich, soft chocolatey base, fresh vibrant mint filling and dark chocolate icing. Amazing. And near impossible to resist when it’s sitting tantalisingly in your fridge. This is one of my favourite recipes out of my cookbook, Everyday Delicious.

Ingredients

Base
225g butter, at room temperature, cubed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 large free-range egg
1 cup plain flour (gluten-free flour would work here)
1/3 cup dark cocoa
1⁄2 cup fine desiccated coconut (optional)

Fresh mint cream filling
3 1⁄2 cups icing sugar
50g butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup liquid cream
2 tsp pure peppermint essence
1 bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Chocolate topping
100g good-quality dark eating chocolate (at least 50% cocoa)
1/3 cup liquid cream
1 cup icing sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a slice tin.

To make the base, cream the butter and sugars together, then beat in the egg until well incorporated. Sift in the flour and cocoa and add the coconut, if using, and mix until combined — the mixture is like a sticky cookie dough. Plop it into the tin and spread out in an even layer with a moistened spatula (or smooth it out under sheet of cling film to keep your hands clean).

Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin.

To make the mint cream, use an electric beater or cake mixer (or elbow grease and a wooden spoon) to beat the icing sugar with the butter and cream until very pale and fluffy — about 5-8 minutes. Add the peppermint essence and fresh mint, and beat to combine. Spread over the cooled base and smooth out with a warm knife.

To make the topping, break up the chocolate and melt with the cream in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Sift in the icing sugar and whisk. Cool slightly, then spread over the peppermint filling. Cover with cling film and set in the fridge for at least 1 hour. When set, cut into slices with a sharp knife.

Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week (ha ha ha).