Black Cherry Jam And Coconut/Macadamia Slice

Mum had 4 hungry mouths to feed (plus Dad) so she was always on the lookout for cheap and cheerful meals to make for us all.  She used to make her own blackberry jam from the berries we picked in Summer (which we also sold to the Monbulk Jam Factory nearby).  Can you imagine anyone nowadays using berries that had been picked by dozens of anonymous little kids out in the bush?  

I made these the other day for a food competition.  It really brought back the memories of childhood.  I'm not a big jam eater, but I do like a bit of the French black cherry variety.  So I decided to use that in this slice, and to add chopped macadamias rather than all coconut, for a bit of added texture and nuttiness.  (Nuttiness?  like me, do I hear you ask?) 

very tasty, my dears

(Based on a recipe from Taste.com.au; slightly adapted by moi:)


Serves: many :=) 


ingredients:


250g. ( 2 cups) plain flour

210g. (1 cup) caster sugar

125g. (1/2 cup) butter, chilled and cubed

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

245g. (3/4 cup) of your fave jam - I used black cherry

85g. (1 cup) dessicated/shredded coconut

120g. (1 cup) of macadamias, chopped roughly into very small pieces or blitzed in the processor till crumb-like



Method:


Turn on the oven to 180C

Butter and line a slice/lamington tray with baking paper

Place the flour, half the sugar and all the butter into a food processor

Whizz till it's like bread crumbs

Add 1 egg and the vanilla

Whizz again till it forms a dough

Press the dough into your baking tray

Bake for 15-20 minutes till lightly golden

Spread the jam over the warm base

Now whisk the other 2 eggs and the other half of the sugar together, just till they're well combined

Stir in the coconut and the chopped macadamias

Spread it evenly over the jam and bake for around 25 minutes - it will be a lovely golden colour on top

Let it cool completely in the tray then slice it up



Notes:

My tray is about 30cm x 30cm x 5cm (8 x 8 x 2 inches)

I used my small processor to chop the nuts - so much easier:=)  You want some texture so leave some large bits

ingredients gathered

blitz the nuts till they look like large bread crumbs 

whizz the flour, sugar and butter till crumb-like   

add the egg and vanilla and keep whizzing till it forms a ball 

spread the dough out on the base of the tin and bake for 15-20 mins.  

whisk the eggs and stir in the sugar, coconut and macadamias 

slather the topping over the baked base and jam   

out of the oven and ready to slice

have a cuppa and a big slice of Slice :=)

my macadoodles