The old no bake slices were a quick and easy way to make something sweet for the family or visitors, especially in summer when you didn’t want to heat up the kitchen by using the oven. This one uses condensed milk and Marie biscuits and has flaked almonds on the top. If the almonds are a problem for you I’m sure you could use dried fruits or even choc chips instead.
Using condensed milk to make slices was a lot more common back 1980s than it is today, but it certainly makes a nice slice. The first time I cooked with pecans was around that time as well. I made an ‘exotic’ American Pecan Pie, using pecans and the hard to obtain ingredient, corn syrup. I think this slice recipe probably dates from a little later than that, especially as it comes from an ad for Riverside an Australian company which urges readers to join the All Australian Pecan Club.
At the retirement village where Mum now lives they hold an Anzac Day ceremony every year. The residents plan and conduct the service themselves and it is very moving to see men and women who lived through the war years gather to commemorate the day. Morning tea is served after the ceremony and along with tea and coffee are plates of Anzac biscuits baked by the residents. I always thought that all Anzac biscuits were the same, but have now learned that everyone has their own way of baking them. I found this clipping in Mum’s collection and I like the extra instructions for Chewy Anzacs at the bottom – you can tell by the stains that this is a recipe well used by Mum.
These old style sweet loaves are cheap and easy to make. A slice of the freshly made loaf spread with butter and with a cup of tea or coffee is still delicious.
Biscuit and slice recipes that don’t require creaming the butter and sugar are always among my favourites. They are that much easier to make and usually use less bowls which equals less washing up, always a good thing. This is a simple recipe for Date Bars although I notice that the method misses out on adding the margarine – I’d just melt it and add it when mixing in the dates and walnuts.
When microwaves first appeared on the scene we were told you could cook anything in them and I think this recipe dates back to that time. I now find the microwave indispensible, but use it mainly as a tool to cook vegetables, melt butter or chocolate, defrost meat and to make white sauces. I found that the traditional oven was better for casseroles, roasts and baking in general, but there’s no denying this recipe would cook more quickly this way and could be worth trying.
Mum saved this recipe from the Herald and Sun cooking column. I think it’s a great slice/slab cake recipe as you don’t need to cream the butter and sugar, you just put the sultanas, water, butter and sugar into a pot, heat then cool, then add the dry ingredients – couldn’t be easier. I made it without the nuts, but I’m sure with them tastes good as well. It certainly disappeared fast.
It looks like this recipe has been cut off the side of a packet, although I’m not sure which packet it came from. I do know that it makes a great slice, really good for afternoon teas or to take on a picnic.
APRICOT LOAF
Chop apricots, place into a basin with boiling water and soda, cover and stand ½ hour. Sift flour and salt into a basin, rub through margarine, add sugar, egg and apricot mixture, mix to combine. Grease loaf tin 22cm x 9cm x 6cm deep and sprinkle some oats over from the topping, then spoon in apricot batter. Melt margarine, add topping ingredients and mix well. Spoon topping over batter. Bake in a moderately hot oven 190ºC for 45-50 minutes. Cool slightly in the tin, remove and cool. Serve sliced and buttered if desired.
These biscuits are a little unusual as they use jelly crystals in place of sugar. The original recipe has orange flavoured jelly, but I’m sure you could use other flavours successfully. I top them off with a chocolate button just to add an extra kick.
ORANGE CRISP BISCUITS
Cream butter with jelly crystals and sugar. Add beaten egg and the dry ingredients previously mixed together. Place in small spoonfuls on a tray lined with baking paper and bake 15-20 minutes at 180ºC.
This is a great example of Mum collecting the ingredients and basic cooking method and working the rest out as she went along. The way it’s been written down it looks like the block of Hazelnut Chocolate was almost an afterthought, but it certainly adds to the flavour. When we made it we changed the almond to hazelnuts, but you could make it with plain chocolate and the almonds if you liked, I guess that would make it a Choc Almond Slice though. The verdict the way we made it was Yummm.
CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SLICE
Combine butter, condensed milk and golden syrup. When mixed add crushed biscuits, almonds and melted block of chocolate. Mix well and spread into tray. Put in fridge until set.
Beb's Recipe Drawer 