Coconut jam slice

February 12, 2022

   

After limiting my socialising a lot in January, I've been enjoying some face-to-face contact with friends in parks and homes this month. We had Ben and Natalie over for brunch, where Michael made a big pan of chipotle sausage hash, Natalie contributed a jug of fancy iced tea, and I had a tray of this coconut jam slice lined up in advance. (Ben also more than pulled his weight, measuring up a broken kitchen cupboard and planning a future repair!)

I think of coconut jam slice as an Aussie classic, although I don't hold a family recipe for it. I picture thick, golden-brown squares of biscuit with a seam of berry jam, and a pillowy top layer of desiccated coconut bound together in a meringue-like batter. This Smith & Deli version has clear similarities and differences. The biscuit base includes cocoa (going for a lamington vibe, perhaps?), and the topping is primarily thicker shredded coconut, lightly bound with an egg replacer and only toasting around the edges during baking.

This slice was popular with the group - the base holds up without any bending or crumbling, and I like the bold chewiness of the shredded coconut. But overall, this slice was just sweet, sweet, sweet to me, overpowering any potential contrasts from tangy fruit and creamy coconut. I would play around with different jam, less jam, and less added sugar in future bakes. The core recipe is simple to pull together, so it wouldn't be a chore to experiment and work towards a new family favourite.

Coconut jam slice

(from Smith & Deli-icious by Shannon Martinez & Mo Wyse) 

base

1 cup plain flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

3/4 cup desiccated coconut

1/2 cup margarine, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

toppings

heaped tablespoon egg replacement powder

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup caster sugar

2 cups shredded coconut

pinch of salt

1 cup raspberry jam

Preheat an oven to 180°C. Line a small slice tray (mine was 27 cm x 18 cm) with baking paper.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa and coconut. Pour in the melted margarine, give it a little stir, add the vanilla, and stir until completely combined. Tip the mixture into the slice tray and use the back of a spoon or clean fingers to spread and press the mixture out into an even base. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes.

While the base is cooling, use a clean medium bowl to whisk together the egg powder and water until frothy. Whisk in the sugar. Stir in the coconut and salt until well combined.

When the base has cooled slightly, spread the jam evenly across it. Spoon over the coconut mixture - it doesn't have to be tightly packed and even, but try not to have jam peeking through. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the coconut is golden brown at the edges but not burned. Allow it all to cool completely before slicing and serving.