mental health food

evil M&M caramel slice....

 just one square will blow your diet for the week

Ingredients:

BASE:

1 cup hazelnut meal (or almond meal)

1/2 cup rice flour

1/2 cup brown sugar9 (or 1/3 cup caster sugar)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

100g butter (melted)

1 tablespoon of vanilla essence

CARAMEL LAYER

1 can condensed milk

125g butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

optional:1  tablespoon of vanilla essence, golden syrup or maple syrup

CHOCOLATE TOPPING

1 block of good quality cooking chocolate (dark is best, but milk also works well)

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 medium size bag of MMs (plus more for snacking), or any other delicious crunchy chocolate or candy topping you fancy.

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius (160 for fan-forced ovens). Prepare a slice pad or two loaf pans with baking paper, ensuring the paper also lines the 'long' sides of the tins.

Measure out all all dry ingredients for the base, and place in a bowl. Give a quick whisk to mix the raising agents with the flours. Melt the butter and pour into the bowl. Add the vanilla essence. Mix until it forms a loose dough. Tip the dough into your baking tray (or trays), firmly pressing it down until it forms a 'crust' across the entire base of the tray. Place trays in the pre-heated oven for 10-15mins, until the base starts to turn golden brown. (NOTE: the base will puff up during baking, then sink again as it cools. Don't panic!)

Allow the base to cool completely, leaving them in the tins, then prepare the caramel.

Melt butter and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. When the sugar and butter have formed a slick sauce-like consistency, add the condensed milk, stir till it is all blended through, making sure it never gets too hot. If your mix starts forming bubbles, it's too hot! Add the additional flavouring syrup now, if desired. The entire melting / caramel cooking process should take less than 5 minutes, and NEVER take your eyes off it. Take the pan off the stove and allow the mix to cool slightly, then poor over your base. Make sure your spread it into all corners. (NOTE: you cannot do this step in the microwave, it will explode and go everywhere... you've been warned). Put the caaramel/base layers back in the oven for another 10 minutes, until the caramel is just starting to firm up. Leave to cool again, you can put it in the fridge at this point to speed things up if you wish.

Make the chocolate layer - again, this will work better in a saucepan, because of the oil content. Break the chocolate into small pieces and put in the saucepan over a low heat (preferably using a double boiler technique). Stir the chocolate until it is melted, then add the vege oil and stir again until all combined. Your chocolate should be lovely and shiny, and quite thin in consistency. Pour the chocolate layer over the cooled caramel/base, again ensuring it reaches to all corners. BEFORE the chocolate starts to set, tip (whatever is left of) your bag on M&Ms onto the chocolate, sprinkling evenly. Some will sink into the chocolate, that's okay!

Put the whole slice back into a fridge / cool space while the chocolate sets (at least an hour).

Heat up a large knife, and slice that baby up into 24 small squares... then indulge in your magnificent creation!!!!