Cherry almond slice
“Everyone thinks that cherries won’t grow in our hot climate — they do, just not very reliably! So we don’t let any go to waste on our cherry orchard. Each year any excess is bottled and preserved for later, and this slice is a great way to use them when you need to have something made in a hurry. It’s a great melt and mix one-pot beauty, and it’s adaptable too — I sometimes vary it depending on what I have available. My favourite part is that you only need the one saucepan. Canned or frozen cherries work equally well.” – Louise Payne, Colignan, Victoria
Makes: 12–15 slices
Ingredients:
- 150 g butter
- 1 teaspoon almond essence
- 1 ½ cups plain flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 450 g bottled, canned or frozen cherries, drained, and pitted, if desired
- Icing sugar, to dust (optional)
Topping
- 50 g butter
- ¾ cup quick oats
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup plain flour
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a deep 18 cm x 27 cm tin with baking paper.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Remove from the heat and add the almond essence, flour and sugar and mix well.
- Place the mixture into the prepared tin and press evenly over the base. Bake for 15 minutes or until just starting to colour.
- Meanwhile, use the same saucepan to make the topping.
- Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the oats and sugar. Add the flour and mix well. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Remove the base from the oven and arrange the cherries over the top. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cherries and return to the oven for a further 15–20 minutes, or until the topping is just starting to colour. Cool in the tin and dust with icing sugar if desired.
Note: If you store this slice in the fridge, make sure to bring it back to room temperature prior to serving or it may be a bit hard.
What’s your favourite dessert to make for the family? Share it with us in the comment section below!
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