Naive pleasures /-/ Shattered salted caramel slice

As an adult, I am still trying to find things that make my child hood special that did not revolve around food. BUT I think I have found it! One thing I think we all can relate to child hood naivety, yes I am grateful for being naive as child. Now most of you would think why in hell would you be grateful for that out all things!? What about…etc. etc.




Sorry but this is what I think makes child hood so special. I want you to think about it what if you weren’t naive as a child or gullible? Would your child hood really be as “magical” as you remember it now?










Doing sociology at University really sometimes opens your eyes to things in popular culture. No seriously for any of you guys who have even done an arts or philosophy course; you will understand that it requires you to change your way of think about everyday life. I have done this for three years and now I find it too hard to turn off. While it does serve an useful tool in analysing people in the coffee shop (yes, I am looking at you apple computer yuppie with your organic hemp sack and designer jeans); it sucks the innocence out of some things.



For example, we all know how Twilight and True blood have become the newest hottest movie/ television shows. While it may have the cover of being an seductive vampire love story filled with action and sexy, sexy bodies (Have you seen true blood? It is like soft porn…) If you look a little deeper, ok may lot deeper you can see that twilight is actually teaching the lessons of the Mormon church and True blood is talking about racism, Aids and the politics of sexual difference.



Now at this point you probably think of me as baker with a few screws loose. I challenge you to go watch an episode or read a chapter of these two text and try to tell me that I am wrong. I give you hint for twilight; the outfits that the elders are wearing the judgement church scene; anything look familiar to the ancient Mormon set up for inquiry and sentencing? The pain and horror Bella when through child birth? See the guild lines for a traditional Mormon birth.





Now you don’t need to learn to love a good old fashion Australian caramel slice. While I do love the classic, I am not fussed about the short bread base since I find it too crumbly and I have to turn the oven on. Yes Sometimes I am that impatient. So this is my take on the caramel slice made on the stove and a few hours of fridge time. Also the stove time means I can indulge my love of stove top stirring.



I am complete addict to caramel or toffee with salt. So the twist on this caramel slice is the Crunchy salt Toffee topping which sets like glass on a bed of stiff chocolate ganache. When you come to cut this slice, the pieces of toffee break into the soften ganache making for the best bitter sweet contrast to the comforting sweeten milk caramel and caramel chip cookie base. This slice is not the faint hearted sweet lover, so approach at your own risk. For all those who dare to wear the sweet, salty badge with glory even though other may call it a fad, join me in slice of this shattered salted caramel slice. Well worth the sugar rush after it.



Shattered Salted caramel Slice

Makes a loaf pan about 10cm by 25cm.

Base

50g melted butter

50g caramel baking chips

200g butter nut cookies or any sweet plain biscuit



Caramel filling

375g condensed milk

50g butter

40ml golden syrup

2g pink flake sea salt



Stiff dark chocolate ganache

150g 70% dark eating chocolate

25g butter

30ml cream



Burnt toffee topping’

150g caster sugar

30ml water

Generous sprinkle of flake sea salt



In small saucepan, melt butter. Allow to cool.

Pulse caramel chips, butter nut biscuits and melted butter in food processor until it comes to fine, damp crumb.

Line your dish with baking paper and pour this mix in. With your hands push down firmly into the bottom of your tin. Fridge until needed.

In a medium sauce pan combine caramel layer ingredients and Stir over medium heat until it thickens and turns a dark shade of tan. This should take around 10-15 minutes.

Pour immediately on to the base in your prepared pan. Transfer to fridge to set about 1 hour.

Make your ganache by heating cream butter and chocolate in thick base sauce pan until melted. Stir constantly but gently.

Take your pan out of fridge and pour this on top. Fridge until ganache is set. About 4 hours or overnight is best.

Remove slice from pan. Place on baking tray covered in a baking paper

On serving make your toffee coat by heating sugar and water in saucepan over medium heat until it turns a dark shade of brown. Make sure you take it as far as it can go as this is what helps off set the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel layers.

Once done pour on to the slice, allow it to drip all over the sides.

Sprinkle with flakes and allow to set in the fridge for 30 mintues.

Cut with heated hot knife.