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No-bake lemon coconut slice - old fashioned favourites

4/4/2017

20 Comments

 
No bake lemon coconut slice - Liz Posmyk Good Things
"My mojo is back," I declared with a grin, as I shimmied past Peter ostentatiously. "Well, that's good to hear," he said, adding "I didn't realise it had left you."

Truth is, I had lost interest in cooking and baking, but had no idea why. Maybe it was a timing thing. We've been crazy busy over the last twelve months or so, with me writing the book and all. I think I might have finally hit a wall, as you sometimes do. Mentally, I decided to take a break, allowing myself some down time. Looks like I needed it. But I'm back. And my mojo is back too. Woo hoo!

The recipe I'm sharing here is one of those old treasures from the days when my children were at pre-school. This is a no-bake lemon and coconut slice that can be made with ultra plain biscuits, including gluten-free and unsweetened varieties. I seem to recall making the base with Weet-Bix at least once or twice, although I haven't tried that lately. 

Peter's elderly mam, Joan, bought a packet of something similar from the supermarket when she stayed with us recently. I snaffled a piece one afternoon when Joan was taking a nap, and shared it with Peter. "Yours would be way better than these, I reckon," he said after tasting it. "I think you might be right. I used to make something similar for Adam and Lauren when they were little," I replied. "Isn't it time you made them for me?" he asked. "Have you been a good boy?" I said. "Aren't I always," he winked, as he kissed me on the nose.

​NO-BAKE LEMON COCONUT SLICE
250g packet plain biscuits (e.g. Milk Arrowroot or unsweetened Marie biscuits)
40g desiccated coconut
zest of a lemon, finely chopped (*use half for the base, half for the icing)
395g can sweetened condensed milk
45g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (*you'll need more for the icing)

For the icing:
285g pure icing sugar, sifted
lemon zest, finely chopped*
40-60g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice*

2 tablespoons desiccated coconut, to finish

Lightly grease a 28cm x 18cm lamington tin, and line the base and sides with baking parchment, allowing extra "flaps" at the sides to make the slice easy to lift out of the tin.

To make the base:
Break the biscuits into pieces and place into the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until the biscuits resemble breadcrumbs. (If using a Tefal Cuisine Companion, set to speed 12 and process for 1 minute 30 seconds, or a little longer if needed).

Tip the crushed biscuit mix into a Pyrex bowl. Fold in 40g of desiccated coconut and half of the finely chopped lemon zest. 

Combine the sweetened condensed milk and 45g of butter in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring until smooth and creamy. Keep an eye on the pot so you don't burn the mixture. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in one tablespoon of lemon juice. 

Now, pour the condensed milk/butter/lemon juice over the biscuit mix, and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon, until the ingredients are well combined.

With clean hands, press the mixture evenly into the prepared lamington tin. Use a long palette knife to flatten the base and smooth out any bumps. Note: the more time you spend on this, the neater the edges will be, and the better the finished slice will look. Refrigerate the base for at least one hour.

To make the citrus icing:
In a Pyrex bowl, combine the sifted icing sugar, the rest of the finely chopped lemon zest and the softened butter (adding it a little at a time), together with two or three tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Mix with a spatula until you have a smooth and creamy consistency. Add a little more butter or lemon juice, if needed. Spread the icing neatly and evenly over the base. Finally, sprinkle with desiccated coconut to finish. Pop the tin back into the refrigerator and chill until it has set.

Using the flaps on the baking parchment, lift the slice carefully out of the tin and place it onto a chopping board. Mark out 24 even-sized slices and cut into segments with the tip of a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Should it last that long, the slice will keep for up to a week. Preparation time: 15 minutes. Setting time: approximately 95 minutes.
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Your turn now, dear readers. Do you lose your "mojo" from time to time? Do you love old fashioned cakes and slices as much as we do?
20 Comments
Peter
7/4/2017 04:26:04 am

Nailed it again, sweetie. 'Twas very yummy.

Reply
Simone Mason
7/4/2017 04:26:52 am

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Reply
Glenda link
7/4/2017 10:14:04 am

Oh no Liz, just when I decided to start being a good girl. They do look fab but not this time, I am going on a diet.

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John / KItchen Riffs link
7/4/2017 11:05:44 am

The lemon alone would be enough to get my attention, but coconut too? Please, may I have two? :-)

Reply
Karen (Back Road Journal) link
7/4/2017 12:32:44 pm

Well I'm a real citrus girl so I know I would enjoy a slice.

Reply
francesca link
7/4/2017 05:41:03 pm

A good old Aussie favourite, great for kids to make in the school holidays. And Aussie right down to the Pyrex bowl and lamington tin. Good memories.

Reply
Laura | Tutti Dolci link
7/4/2017 05:42:07 pm

I love lemon coconut treats, these bars look delicious!

Reply
Amanda link
7/4/2017 06:13:49 pm

I love all of the slices and biscuits I used to make for my kids lunchboxes and miss them like crazy now that I don't have an excuse to bake them any more. Every now and again I dust one of my old recipes off, but usually end up eating most of it myself - not good for the hips.

Reply
sherry MacKay link
7/4/2017 07:27:35 pm

Yep I too have lost my cooking mojo lately. sad but true. I will force myself to do some easter baking i reckon. i think my blogging mojo has also deserted me. ah well, keep plugging on I will...:)

Reply
David link
7/4/2017 08:20:44 pm

I've always been told that the Australian "slice" is the same as an American "square" or "bar". But, honestly, they seem very different. I think it was you that posted a recipe for a lime slice – and I've been meaning to try it for years. Now this one sounds so good that it might come first!

Reply
Tandy I Lavender and Lime link
8/4/2017 01:30:45 am

Glad you have your mojo back Liz. As you know, I can relate xx

Reply
Jenni Shum
9/4/2017 07:27:27 pm

yummmmmm. love citrus goodies. but, yup, i've certainly lost the mojo, and my cooking is very intermittent!

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kellie@foodtoglow link
9/4/2017 01:14:26 pm

It's reassuring to know that you are back on track. But it's no wonder you went through a lul. Much to reflect on, rest up from and absorb. Such an exciting year, but the energy it uses can't be underestimated. Really lovely, easy indulgent recipe. Shared :-)

Reply
Jenny Andersen
9/4/2017 07:38:26 pm

Yum, I shall have to whip this together over Easter, a welcome relief from the chocfest! And if this weather stays chilly it won't even have to go in the fridge!
My baking mojo has definitely taken a backseat too, hoping this winter will resurrect it.

Reply
Maureen link
9/4/2017 08:44:47 pm

If getting your mojo back means treats like this - we're all lucky. These slices/bars will be perfect for an upcoming picnic.

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Eva Taylor link
10/4/2017 08:13:14 am

Lemon is an all-time favourite over here too, and no bake sounds perfect since we are heading into spring.

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Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella link
12/4/2017 09:07:56 am

That's great to hear Lizzy! I sort of felt like you might have when you started posting recipes with pics from the cookbook. I figured it was book related stress though.

Reply
Lizzy
12/4/2017 07:01:57 pm

Not at all, Lorraine, the book didn't stress me one bit, in fact I felt wonderful having achieved that dream. We've been watching our weight for over a year (which I wrote about recently) and if I bake (or indeed, cook new things), we eat. At our age, we cannot afford to over-eat, not even a little. You will find out when you hit your forties or fifties, I'm sure.The other thing was that I have had no time, and blogging frequently eats into my time. I reckon life is too short to sit at the computer all day long. xx

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Anna @ shenANNAgans link
13/4/2017 10:35:39 pm

It really can be a bit disconcerting when you just cant seem to find your mojo, glad yours is back. This past couple of weeks have been a roller coaster of emotion with the mojo being well present, and in the next instance... GONE!

Your no bake lemon coconut slice would have been perfect when we didnt have electricity. Lol! Adding to my ever growing list. Yum!

Reply
Lesley Grant link
17/3/2018 07:24:36 am

These sound delicious! And quick. I'm going to try making these with my grandson, he'll love these. I used to make something similar years ago with Rich Tea biscuits and condensed milk, you've got me thinking now!

Lesley xx
myextraordinarylife

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