Coconut dreams...

Sometimes, something can happen that you weren't expecting to happen, when you least expect it! It's just like flipping a coin. Life is full of surprises. On Monday night, I was combining my love of chocolate cakes with a desperate need to tidy my studio when I came across my tatty old recipe diary. There, between the dog-eared pages of my little notebook, I found one of my favourite recipes. The world famous and absolutely scrummy chocolate coconut slice. So on Tuesday evening I made it for the girls at work. They seemed a little surprised at my domestic goddess status. NOTE to self > bake more often. It's good that you remember the great tastes of your life. I remember my grandma's plated apple pies; my mother's chocolate cake; my father's stuffed cabbage and his less than lovely caraway seed soup! My first sticky toffee pudding at Goblets wine bar, my mother's fairy cakes that always used to escape all over the baking tray; my very own sausage nutty plait (don't ask!) and a pantry of other ideas. I'd been thinking about the recipe that morning, then just as I was tidying up that evening, I found it. So without further ado, here it is...

To celebrate "Happy Thanksgiving Day", I'm leaving this recipe in ounces. I also made twice the amount to fit into a fairly large baking tray. If you want to make less because you have less friends than I do :-) just use a smaller tray.

Delicious Chocolate Coconut Slice
You will need
4 oz plain chocolate
4 oz desiccated coconut
4 oz granulated sugar
1 egg
handful of glace cherries

Here's what to do
Preheat oven to 170°C, 325°F, gas 3.
1. Mix egg, sugar and coconut together.
2. Melt chocolate in a bain-marie.
3. Grease and line a baking tray.
4. Pour melted chocolate in the tin. Spread out and leave to cool.
5. Put coconut mixture on the top and press down lightly.
6. Decorate with cherries cut in half.
7. Bake till golden brown.
8. Leave to cool then cut and serve when cold.

All the girls in the office tried it and seemed to love it! What's next week, I wonder... mmm

ps and if you want to use those brightly coloured glace cherries - go ahead! Mine were the 'oh so naturalle' cherries that made me feel healthy just looking at them. Glace cherries must be one of the most sugar-packed, syrupy sweet ways to eat fruit that I know. And interestingly, all the girls in the office chose a slice with a cherry! Maybe they'd lost theirs!