Cherry slice

This tray of cherry slice officially opens the Christmas baking season in our house. Each year, I bake a number of the treats my mum and my sister-in-law always made. Cherry slice, butterscotch fudge, date squares, Nanaimo bars, shortbread and fruit cake are the definites – Christmas wouldn’t feel the same without them.

But that pair didn’t stop there… There were also homemade mince pies, butter tarts, merry mince tea bread, chocolate fudge, nut clusters, snowballs, gingerbread and sugar cookies.

I’ll occasionally bake something from the long list, or even break with tradition and make something new(!). But there’s only so much Christmas baking a family of four (and their friends) can eat in a two-week period…;-)

Cherry slice

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 Tb icing sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup dessicated coconut
• 1 cup glacé cherries

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4).
2. Mix together the butter, flour and icing sugar.
3. Spread the mixture into a buttered 9″x9″ pan, pressing it down with your fingertips.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the brown sugar, walnuts, coconut and cherries.
5. Carefully spread this mixture over the base in the pan, ensuring the cherries are evenly distributed.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top layer is golden brown and set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Tags: cherries, Christmas, vegetarian, walnuts