recipes:choc peppermint slice

Once upon a time there were two sisters called Vivienne and Margaret. They both loved to cook and everyone always commented about how wonderful their cakes and slices, biscuits and pies tasted. There was, however, one difference between the sisters - Vivienne had that magic touch. You know the one, where their sponge always comes out of the oven having risen perfectly, their biscuits are all round and the same size, their slice is perfectly iced and no layers have inadvertently mixed during the preparation phase. That magic touch.

Margaret was my grandmother. One I miss dearly though I never really got to know her. But we have at least one thing in common. Neither of us have that magic touch. And so while my slices are never going to be perfect, I haven't conquered my fear of baking a sponge cake and my biscuits are never the same size, quite often the results still taste good.

Last night we went out for dinner with friends and everyone ended up back here afterwards. While they were choosing "instant gratification" over "long term goals" and deciding that "zombies" win over "cyborgs" (discussion topics from Journal of Choices) and making up ridiculous stories using Rory's Story Cubes I escaped to the kitchen. I'd bought plain chocolate biscuits (cookies) specifically to try the Chocolate peppermint slice recipe from Grandma's quick and thrifty cookbook (Reader's Digest). I really like this recipe book because, as the title says, the recipes are classic, quick and easy without too many steps or ingredients. Mostly they involve things that you'd have in your cupboard. Well, except the chocolate biscuits. This is the only recipe book (apart from my stack of handwritten recipes shoved in a notebook) that I keep in the house. Usually everything else comes from the internet.

No baking required. Ready to serve about 10mins after - just allowing time for the chocolate to harden. Lots of positive reviews. I think I'll have to hide a packet of chocolate biscuits in the cupboard in case I need an last minute dessert in the future. The only test this doesn't pass is the "one mixing bowl required" rule that Mum tends to follow.

Chocolate peppermint slice
250g plain chocolate-flavoured biscuits
150g butter, melted
2 cups (250g) pure icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
50ml milk, approximately
200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

1. Line a 20x30cm slice tin with baking paper
2. Put the biscuits in a food processor and blend until finely chopped (I just crushed them while they were still in the packet then spread them out in the slice tray and used the bottom of a coffee mug to break up the remaining pieces before tipping back into a mixing bowl - I don't have a food processor big enough). Combine the biscuit crumbs and melted butter and press evenly into the slice tin. Place the tin in the freezer while preparing the topping - this will make the biscuit base harden, so it will be easier to spread the topping over it.
3. In a bowl, mix together the icing sugar, peppermint extract and milk - the mixture should be a spreading consistency, so add a little more milk if necessary. Spread the icing over the hardened biscuit base and return to the freezer.
4. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until melted, then stir in the vegetable oil. (I put my chocolate in a glass mixing bowl and put it in the microwave for 30seconds - in my microwave this was enough to melt the chocolate without burning it)
5. Spread the chocolate mixture over the slice and set aside for about 10 minutes to harden (I put it back in the freezer). To serve, cut into 5cm squares using a hot knife. (Hot knife or not, my chocolate still cracked) Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Day four: make peppermint slice.