3 Minute Microwave Chocolate Slice

I can remember my good friend Claire telling me about a microwave slice recipe and I was positive I kept a copy of it but couldn’t find it anywhere especially when I had company coming for afternoon tea and I needed something to feed the kids. I did a quick Google search and found this one on Best Recipes.

I can see this recipe being one of my favourites. Mix it all up in a dish suitable for the microwave, press down, cook for 3 minutes, allow to cool, ice and serve. I’ll add some nuts, use different flavoured icings and sprinkles, omit the cocoa, add sultanas, choc chips, dried fruit, you name it.

This is the perfect recipe for the busy Mum or for the kids to make up. (Just be careful when it comes out of the microwave as its very hot.)

3 Minute Microwave Chocolate Slice
(from www.bestrecipes.com.au)

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tbs golden syrup
• 150g butter, melted

1. Mix all ingredients together in a microwave dish that will double as the slice dish. No need to grease the dish.
2. Cook on medium high for 3 minutes. (I had an 1100w microwave and cooked mine for 2 minutes 30 seconds and checked then I cooked for a further 30 seconds.)
3. Allow to cool slightly and ice with a simple icing of icing sugar, cocoa and milk. Top with sprinkles if desired.

Variations:

• Omit cocoa
• Add sultanas, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips
• Serve uniced or with a drizzle of melted chocolate

No Bake Passionfruit Slice (without Passionfruit)

You heard that right! No passionfruit in a Passionfruit Slice? How could that be? I have fond memories of the old fashioned Passionfruit Slice that used to adorn every afternoon tea table when my family used to have large gatherings but everyone had a passionfruit vine back in those days so they were in abundance. Let me explain how to make this No Bake Passionfruit Slice without passionfruit.

Queens Fine Foods

Queen Fine Foods have been providing the very best flavourings, essences and food colourings for Australian bakers for 120 years. If you looked in any Australian home at any time over the last 120 years, you’ll find a bottle of Queen vanilla essence, lemon essence or any number of food colourings used to colour icings for cupcakes and birthday cakes.

 

The lovely people at Queen Fine Foods have now created a range of ‘baking pastes’ in, you guessed it, passionfruit as well as lime, raspberry and cinnamon. I couldn’t believe it when I heard about the range from a dear friend of mine and couldn’t help trying the passionfruit flavour first.  It’s opened up all the classic passionfruit flavoured treats I enjoyed so much as a child without having to spend a lot of money on passionfruit or find someone with a passionfruit vine, which is hard to find these days.

The other great thing is there are no black seeds which means my children will eat it. I decided to make the Passionfruit Slice from my childhood but didn’t want to bake it like the traditional recipes so came up with this ‘no bake’ version.

I had a packet of homebrand shortbread biscuits in the pantry so used them to make the base.

I crushed the biscuits with the wooden rolling pin, added the melted butter and put in the refrigerator to firm up.

Next, combine a can of condensed milk, 300ml of thickened cream. 3 teaspoons of the passionfruit paste, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of gelatine powder which has been dissolved in a little hot water. 

That’s it! It couldn’t be any more simple. Pour the passionfruit filling onto the cooled base and return to the fridge until required.

I took a couple slices over to my girlfriend’s house for a morning tea catch up and it was well received. Certainly tastes exactly like passionfruit and a no bake slice ready in no time. I can’t wait to try the other flavours of the Queen paste range.

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No Bake Passionfruit Slice (without Passionfruit)

A really easy no bake Passionfruit Slice that doesn't use real passionfruit. Of course you can use real passionfruit if you have it.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 24

Author Anne Murphy

Ingredients

• 1 packet of sweet biscuits crushed
• 80 gm butter melted
• 1 x 395gm can sweetened condensed milk
• 300 ml cream
• 3 tsp Queen Fine Foods Passionfruit Paste or pulp from 3 passionfruit
• 3 tsp powdered gelatine dissolved in a little hot water

Instructions

1. Combine crushed biscuits and melted butter and press into 20x25cm slice pan or suitable pie dish.
2. Refrigerate until filling has been prepared.
3. Combine condensed milk, cream, passionfruit paste (or fresh pulp) and dissolved gelatine.
4. Pour into refrigerated crust and return to refrigerator for approximately 1 hour or until set.

Recipe Notes

The Queen Fine Foods Passionfruit Paste may not be available where you are.
In that case, use the pulp from 3 passionfruit.
I used shortbread biscuits but any kind of sweet biscuit crumbs could be used.

 

Disclaimer: This isn’t a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this post. I’ve been a regular user of Queen products all my life.

 

Strawberry Crumble Bars

Can’t get through the new season strawberries quick enough? If your family is the same as mine, as soon as they turn a bit ‘squishy’ they no longer eat them. Don’t throw them away. Use them in baking like these easy Strawberry Crumble Bars.

 

This is one of those melt and mix recipes I love so well. No having to worry about creaming butter and sugar together. The base is also the crumble topping so not a lot to this recipe.

Make a start on the crumble topping and base by mixing all the dry ingredients together then mix in the melted butter.

Using half the mixture, press into a slice tin and bake for approximately 20 minutes or just starting to go golden brown on top. You don’t want to overcook it at this stage as it will need more baking once the fruit and topping has been added.

Set aside and prepare the strawberries.

Cut your strawberries in half or quarters and place in a saucepan with sugar. For 1 cup of strawberries I added 1/2 cup sugar. Slowly cook the strawberries until softened. You don’t want the strawberries to dissolve completely but still have some shape to them.

Spread across the prepared base.

Lightly cover the fruit with the remaining mixture, ‘crumbling’ it on top. Press lightly with the top of your hand and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Allow to cool and slice into squares or bars. Eat as is or drizzle with a simple icing glaze. These bars freeze really well and are perfect for lunch boxes or afternoon tea treats.

I’m not sure I had many leftover to freeze when I made this batch. The best part about this recipe is that you can use any fruit, fresh or tinned. No need to go and buy strawberries especially for it. Use what’s in season or what might lurking in the fridge. Apples, pears, pineapple, kiwifruit, mangoes, cherries, plums, nectarines, the choice is endless. Suitable to serve warm as a dessert too.

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Strawberry Crumble Bars

An easy cookie bar that is a melt and mix recipe and the biscuit mixture acts as the base and the crumble topping. You can substitute the strawberries with any fruit.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 12

Author Anne Murphy

Ingredients

• 185 gm 6.1/2 oz butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1.1/2 cups plain all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 1.1/2 cups rolled oats oatmeal
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Fruit

• 1 cup strawberries or other fruit
• 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

1. For the biscuit base, melt butter and add brown sugar, stir.
2. Add other ingredients and combine.
3. Place half of the mixture into a slice pan, 16x26cm (6″x10″), press down into pan and bake in a 180 deg C (360 deg F) oven for approx 20 minutes or until just golden.
4. For the fruit, over moderate heat, allow strawberries to soften and sugar to dissolve.
5. Remove from heat to cool.
6. Spread cooked strawberries over base.
7. Crumble remaining biscuit base mixture over the top of the fruit.
8. Return to oven for approx 10 minutes or until golden on top.
9. Serve warm with ice cream or cream for dessert or allow to cool and cut into bars.

Recipe Notes

Use any fruit you have, fresh or canned.
Eg apples, pears, pineapple, cherries, plums, nectarines, etc.
For extra flavour, add chopped nuts to the biscuit mixture to match the fruit eg walnuts with cherries or macadamia nuts with pineapple.

 

Do you make popcorn for your kids and they always leave a bit leftover? Yes, mine do too! There’s always an argument over who’s going to hold the bowl so I give them each a bowl of their own popcorn and they still leave it. I know it’s only popcorn and it’s cheap but the last time we had popcorn there was so much leftover. I thought about putting it to good use with these No Bake Popcorn Macadamia Bars.

At least these would be good to ‘pop’ into lunchboxes for snacks and there’s no waste. This recipe is also good to make from freshly made popcorn as it’s a cheap ingredient and can be quickly made.

As it turns out, I didn’t have quite enough popcorn as I thought I did so added a few of these rice cakes which I blitzed in the food processor until just broken up.

Add butter, brown sugar and honey in a microwave safe dish and heat until melted and sugar is dissolved.

Mix together your popcorn, (blitzed rice cakes if you need them), macadamia nuts and melted sugar/butter mixture. I also had a small quantity of flaked coconut so added that as well. (This is a great recipe for a pantry clean out.)

Once well combined, press into a 9″x 9″ baking pan and refrigerate for approximately an hour. They will set hard. Slice into small squares and serve.

Such an easy, versatile recipe. You can leave out the macadamia nuts or add peanuts, choc chips, coconut or just about anything. The only thing you really need is the popcorn, butter, sugar and honey. What other ingredients you add to it is entirely up to you.

No Bake Popcorn Macadamia Bars

Ingredients

• 3 cups popcorn
• 125gm butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbs honey
• macadamia nuts (or other nuts, coconut, choc chips, dried fruit optional)

Method

1. In a microwave proof dish, melt together butter, brown sugar and honey on high for 1 minute.
2. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
3. Heat for another minute.
4. Combine popcorn and macadamia nuts (and/or other ingredients). I didn’t have enough popcorn so added a couple rice cakes which were lightly blitzed in the food processor.
5. Pour over melted butter, sugar, honey mixture.
6. Press into a 9″x 9″ baking pan lined with baking paper and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour or until set.
7. Slice into small squares and serve.

Quick Mix Slice

If you want to bake something in a hurry, you can’t go past this Quick Mix Slice. You can make it as fancy as you like with whatever ingredients you have. I just happened to have a few macadamia nuts in the pantry and the last bit of white chocolate which I melted and topped the slice with. It was so good.

I’ve got all the fancy cookbooks you can think of but the one I refer to most is my high school Home Economics cookbook “Day to Day Cookery”. It’s got all your basic recipes in it including one for this Quick Mix Slice. It’s seriously so, so easy. Melt and mix, just the way I like it. It’s very much like a cookie recipe but baked as a slice and cut into bars. 

Just mix the dry ingredients together, crush the weetbix cereal bars into it, melt the butter and mix.

You can create cookies if you like by taking small spoonfuls of mixture and squeezing them into cookie shapes on a baking sheet but the easiest way to cook this recipe is to press it into a slice pan 20x25cm.

Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

You can eat it like that or top it with icing or melted chocolate like I did. The flavour combinations are endless. This is a great recipe for using up all those bits and pieces you have lying in the pantry. Dried fruit, nuts, sprinkles, lollies/candy, chopped cookies or chocolate, chocolate chips can all be used in this wonderfully easy recipe.

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Quick Mix Slice

A quick melt'n'mix slice that can be made in no time. A great recipe to use up all those bits and pieces lying in the pantry.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 18

Author Anne

Ingredients

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 cup coconut
• 3 weetbix breakfast cereal bars crushed
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 125 gm butter melted

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients together.
2. Add any additional ingredients, eg roughly chopped macadamia nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips etc
3. Add melted butter and mix well.
4. Press mixture into a 20x25cm slice pan lined with baking paper.
5. Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown in a 180 deg C oven.
6. Top with icing or melted chocolate.

Recipe Notes

Possible flavour combinations:
White chocolate and macadamia
Sultana, dried apricots, dried figs, other dried fruit
Chocolate chips or chunks
Lollies/candy
Nuts of any kind

Honey Caramel Cashew Bars

For those of us who love to bake (and eat our baking, like me), do you ever get that craving for something? Yeah, me too. I don’t know why but this particular night I had a craving for those cafe style Pecan Pie bars that are oh so sweet and nutty. Trouble was, I only had a handful of pecans and was missing a couple other ingredients. I looked at what I did have and I had heaps of cashews. That’ll do. That’s how these Honey Caramel Cashew Bars came about.

Even though I limit my grocery shopping to $150 per fortnight, when I’ve got a bit leftover, I like to buy a few less common ingredients like nuts, just in case I get the urge for something baked, adding to a stir fry or adding a crunch to a salad. Cashews are my favourite but then again I do love most varieties of nuts. No need to really chop them up. Just a bit of a rough chop will do. I also found that this recipe all came together by prepping everything in the microwave and then finished off baking in the oven. It was really quick to put together.

I baked a base which was a lovely buttery, shortbread type base but you could just use biscuit crumbs with added melted butter.

Next make the honey caramel filling. I did this all in the microwave. I could’ve used maple or golden syrup but I thought the honey would go well with the cashews, which it did.

Add the chopped cashews to the caramel mix.

Then pour onto the partially baked shortbread crust.

Bake until golden brown and bubbly on top. You’ll need to let it cool down completely before eating. It will solidify upon cooling.

 

The caramel oozes down into the base and then solidifies with the cashews. It truly is delicious, although very sweet. It definitely curbed my craving. You could use pecans or any kind of nuts. I can’t wait to try it with macadamia nuts, walnuts, peanuts or, eventually I hope, pecans. 

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Honey Caramel Cashew Bars

A smooth honey caramel smothering cashews on a buttery shortbread base.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 18

Author Anne

Ingredients

Shortbread base

• 250 gm butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2.2/3 cups plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Honey Caramel topping

• 100 gm butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 cups cashews roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170 deg C and prepare a 20x25cm slice pan with baking paper.
2. In a microwave proof bowl, melt butter.
3. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
4. Mix in flour and salt.
5. Press into slice pan and bake until just pale.
6. For the topping, melt butter in a microwave proof bowl.
7. Mix in brown sugar until dissolved.
8. Stir through honey and cashews.
9. Pour onto shortbread base and bake until golden and bubbly (approx 20 mins).
10. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Recipe Notes

Other nuts can be substituted, eg macadamias, walnuts, pecans, peanuts.
Honey can be substituted with maple or golden syrup.
Drizzle with melted chocolate once cooled.

Adapted from Pecan Pie Bars by Just a Taste

 

No Bake Triple Chocolate Millionaire Bars

Whether you call them Millionaire Bars, copycat Twix Bars or plain old Chocolate Caramel Slice, this recipe for a no bake version will blow your mind. I kind’ve just stumbled across an ingredient and just knew it had to be made into something decadent like this.

I saw a tin of chocolate condensed milk at the supermarket one week, the same kind of ingredient that you use when making the caramel for this kind of dessert so I grabbed it and set to work on my no bake bars.

A traditional Millionaire Bar has a baked shortbread base but using biscuit crumbs, as you would say with a cheesecake, this no bake version can be made and set within an hour. I use a traditional Aussie favourite, the Choc Ripple biscuit but you can use any kind of biscuit/cookie for the base.

Mix the blitzed crumbs with melted butter and press into a slice pan and refrigerate while you make the chocolate caramel filling.

Mix together in a small saucepan, the contents of the chocolate condensed milk, brown sugar, butter and golden syrup. Slowly melt together over a medium heat until all ingredients are combined well.

The chocolate caramel filling will thicken slightly and be glossy and thick.

Spread the chocolate caramel filling onto the chilled biscuit base and return to the refrigerator while you prepare the chocolate topping.

Lucky no one was around so I had the spoon to lick all on my own!

Spread over melted chocolate and chill until ready to serve. Cut into squares and enjoy. I took this to all of my workmates who absolutely loved it. The kids loved it too as did the husband. Definitely a keeper but one to be enjoyed on special occasions. The calorie count would be horrendous!

 

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No Bake Triple Chocolate Millionaire Bars

Very similar to a traditional Millionaire Bar but this version is triple chocolate and no bake. It will be ready in an hour for you to enjoy.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 18

Author Anne

Ingredients

• 1 packet of Chocolate Ripple biscuits blitzed into crumbs (any plain chocolate biscuits will do)
• 125 gm butter melted
• 1 395 gm can chocolate condensed milk
• 2 tbs golden syrup
• 60 gm butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 200 gm block of chocolate milk or dark
• 30 gm butter

Instructions

1. Mix together the blitzed biscuit crumbs and melted butter.
2. Press into a lined slice pan and chill in the refrigerator until required.
3. Melt together in a small sauce pan, chocolate condensed milk, golden syrup, butter and brown sugar.
4. Slowly bring to the boil, continuously stirring until well combined and slightly thicker.
5. Allow to cool slightly and spread over the chilled biscuit base.
6. Return to the refrigerator while you prepare the chocolate topping.
7. In a microwave, slowly melt together the chocolate and butter.
8. Allow to cool slightly and spread over the chocolate caramel layer.
9. Return to the refrigerator until required.
10. Slice into bars and serve.

Recipe Notes

Can be made with plain biscuit crumbs and regular condensed milk for a traditional Chocolate Caramel Slice.