A Tasty Little Gift - Nainoma Slice

As some of you may know, I have been going to a jewellery making class at The Silversmith's Guild. They are now based in the Tannery, having been quaked out of the Arts Centre. I've really enjoyed learning the basics of a new craft, and being in the position of student instead of teacher has been an important reminder about the students' experience in the classroom.

Yesterday was our last class of the term; so to show my appreciation I whipped up this tasty treat as a small gift for my tutors. Having a stash of cellophane bags at home is super useful for transforming home baking into a cute gift.

I finally found this recipe in Alexa Johnston's great book Ladies, a Plate. It is full of great traditional baking recipes that are sure to please everyone. I had come across this slice years ago in a cafe and I've been looking for the recipe ever since. It's really very rich, and as such is best served in small pieces.

Nainoma Slice

Base
115g butter
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
200g biscuit crumbs (that's 5 wine biscuits short of a packet) - crushed
1 cup coconut - I used long thread

Filling
55g butter
2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons custard powder
2 tablespoons hot water

Topping
125g dark chocolate - I used Whittaker's
1 tablespoon plain vegetable oil

Line a standard 20 x 30cm baking tin with baking paper. Make it a large tin if you want a thin slice, or a smaller tin for thick slice.

Melt the butter, sugar and cocoa over a low heat, stirring.
Remove from the heat and add the beaten egg. Blend until smooth and shiny.









Add the vanilla essence, biscuit crumbs and coconut and mix well.











Press into the lined baking tin and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For the filling: Cream the softened butter, icing sugar and custard powder with the hot water. Spread it over the chilled base and refrigerate again.









For the topping: melt the chocolate and oil together.

You can melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water, or very carefully in the microwave - 30 second bursts only and only until half the chocolate is melted. Melt the remainder by using the residual heat and stirring until smooth.




Let the chocolate cool before spreading it over the filling. Too hot and it will melt the filling. Set aside to cool and store in an air tight container in the fridge.


Cut into small squares and watch it quickly disappear out of the fridge.

It could also be easily converted to gluten free by using gluten free biscuits instead of Wine biscuits.