Children’s birthdays in general can be a bit of a minefield… expectations are so high on behalf of both the child and the parents and one of the biggest challenges is how to make a birthday cake that will compare favourably with those that have come before…
We go for the morning or afternoon tea option in terms of timing and I always serve very simple food (and always the same things every year): small ham and/or cheese sandwiches, mini meatballs, hummus, carrot sticks and crackers and real fruit kebabs. The only sugar hit in the whole event is the cake… but the cake is the piece-de-resistance and I try to impress…
Last year I made the one on the right with a digger theme.
the year before that a pirate ship,
and before that a train.
But this year, I was getting over a nasty bout of flu and I decided that a six year-old birthday party was going to be an easier ride…
Jack, following in my footsteps, has been compiling his own recipe book and found a photo of a chocolaty slice that he liked the look of… ‘Done’, I said, ‘let’s make it for your birthday!’
I hadn’t read the recipe at that point, but it turned out to be a 15 minute no bake slice and one of the easiest things I have ever made… the only downside, is that it uses raw egg, so you need to use eggs you can trust. I buy mine from Yvette in town here, so I know her chooks are healthy and happy.
The kids loved it, the adults loved it and you could only eat little pieces at a time as it was quite rich… and it certainly took the pressure off Mum this year!
Chocolate Fudge Slice
Ingredients
2 packets vanilla wine biscuits
½ cup sultanas
¼ cup walnut pieces
250g butter or Olivani
1 cup raw sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup good quality cocoa
2 large or 3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
Method
- Crush the biscuits in a food processor or in a plastic bag with a clean rolling pin. Line a shallow cake tin (square or rectangle).
- Melt the butter or Olivani in a saucepan, take off the heat and then add the sugar, vanilla, cocoa, sultanas, nuts and eggs. Stir well.
- Pour this mixture over the crushed biscuits and mix together very thoroughly.
- Spoon out into a the cake tin, press down well and refrigerate.
- After a couple of hours it is ready to serve. Cut into small cubes… and that’s it!
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag #coromandelflavour – I love to see what you’ve been making and any feedback is really welcome.