I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but I can never pass up gooey things with caramel sauce. Having said that I cannot eat more than a piece or a spoonful of the luscious dulce de leche. My daughter made this over the weekend for a bake sale at her work and it was popular. This is easy and the recipe is adapted from Jo Seagar. Makes a perfect gift or if you need to take a plate.
Base
2 cups plain flour
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1.5 cups of brown sugar
3 cups rolled oats
2 eggs
250 grams butter, melted
Filling
200 grams butter
400 grams sweetened condensed milk
4 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Maldon sea salt
METHOD
Pre-heat oven to 180oC. Grease a large 25 centimetre x 35 centimetre x 5 centimetre (depth) tin with baking paper. Make sure the paper has a good overhang.
Lightly toast the desiccated coconut and set aside. For the base, combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add eggs and butter. Mix well, then press half of the mixture into the prepared tin. Take time to press it down and place in oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the base is browning, slowly melt butter, condensed milk and golden syrup together. Stirring continuously and taking care not to burn the bottom, heat the filling until it turns golden and smell the caramel flavour as it intensifies. Mix the vanilla essence. Remove tin with the base from the oven and pour filling onto base. Spread evenly and now place the remaining crumble mixture on top. Sprinkle Maldon sea salt on top so that as you bit into the slice, there is a hint of saltiness. Bake for a further 15-20 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.
TIPS
Best to cut after it has been refrigerated for at least 6-8 hours. Remove the slice from the tin and place on chopping board. To get perfect slices, trim the edges off first and then cut into 24 -28 pieces.