best friend anywhere square; gluten free
- Karen
- Sep 6, 2016
- 2 min read
Many moons ago, I made a friend for life with a little help from something I called my 'Picnic Square'. Nowadays, some 15 years on, I'm best buddies with the girl who'd swoon at this coconutty, chocolate concoction. I've renamed them in honour of Rach, my best friend.
And lets face it Rach, we don't bother with the picnic. Anywhere will do......
Recipe notes:
Don't skimp on the chocolate! Go for high quality with a high cocoa content.
The tricky part of this recipe is in cutting the squares themselves. The chocolate needs to be firm enough to be able to cut, but not rock hard so that it shatters. I suggest letting the whole tin cool, before placing in the fridge for an additional 20 mins. Cut with a sharp bread knife, wiping the blade clean after every cut. If you struggle, dip the blade under boiling water, wipe, then allow the warm metal to glide through the set chocolate.
Store the squares in an airtight container in a cool place.
Ingredients:
400g dark chocolate, melted in a bowl over a pan of simmering water
150g butter, creamed with 300g sugar
300g desiccated coconut
2 large eggs
100g raisins
150g glace cherries cut in half
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees. Grease & line a deep square tin, approx 20x20. Tip in the melted chocolate & level, ensuring it reaches the side of the tin. Refrigerate until set.
Meanwhile, add the eggs to the creamed butter & sugar, followed by the coconut, cherries & raisins. Mix until completely combined.
Press the coconut mixture into the tin, on top of the chocolate. Neaten around the edges to prevent burning.
Cook in the oven for thirty minutes, or until the square is evenly browned & cooked through. Allow to cool (see notes above) before cutting.
