Belinda Jeffery

On a recent visit to New Zealand, I became utterly addicted to this crunchy, chewy, gingery slice that appeared in many of the cafes we visited. This recipe is not traditional, as I’ve added granola, oats, and desiccated coconut to the base, however it is remarkably good. I’ve lightened up the sugar content, too, however the topping is still quite sweet which gives the slice its wonderful, slightly crunchy texture.

Makes approx. 18 bars

Preheat your oven to 150C FF (170C regular). Lightly butter a 27cm x 18cm x 3cm slice tin, then line the base and sides with a sheet of baking paper so it sits a little above the rim. Set the tin aside.

For the base, put the butter, caster sugar, and golden syrup into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir regularly until the butter has melted and the mixture has combined. Add the vanilla then remove from the heat.

Tip the rolled oats, granola, self-raising flour, desiccated coconut, and chopped ginger into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir with a large spoon for about 40 seconds to thoroughly combine. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, then pour in the melted butter mixture, stirring as you go. Mix everything together well – the mixture will look wet and shiny. Scrape it into the prepared tin, and smooth it out evenly with your hands and/or a palette knife.

Bake the base for 20 – 25 minutes until it’s golden brown. Remove to a wire cooling rack when ready.

In the meantime, combine the butter, ground ginger and golden syrup in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. As soon as the butter has melted, stir in the icing sugar mixture and vanilla. Keep stirring until the mixture is a smooth, shiny, mass. Turn off the heat, but keep warm in the pan until the base is ready.

Pour the warm topping mixture over the hot base, and working quickly, spread it evenly with a palette knife (an offset palette knife is ideal for this). Press the flaked almonds and ginger all over the surface, then leave the slice to cool and set.

The ginger crunch is easiest to cut when it’s at room temperature. Use the baking paper rim to help ease the slice out of the tin onto a chopping board. I find that a long chef’s knife helps cut the slice into neat bars or squares – just carefully wipe the blade of the knife between each cut so you get a nice, sharp finish.

Store in a tightly sealed, airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Remove from the fridge a little before serving.