Chocolate Slice is a school-fete classic – now in gluten free form everyone can enjoy a treat from the fair made right at home. 
Chocolate slice is hands down my favourite lunch box treat. It’s a school fete classic found wrapped in plastic and tied with ribbon stacked high on plastic tables that are slowly sinking into the muddy playground grass (it always rains right before the school fete, right?) all around Australia. My Mum made this treat all the time when I was a little girl, and when I was old enough I started making it too, but then, somehow, I forgot about it! How did I forget about one of my favourite childhood treats?! It took a reminder from a vintage cookbook to get me straight into the kitchen to whip up a gluten free version ready for this week’s lunchbox treat. 
My Mum made her chocolate slice recipe straight from the cookbook she used during her high school home economics class. This tiny hardcover volume is covered in brown paper and has seen our family through since the beginning. I remember my Mum opening it up and creating all sorts of treats for us as children: pikelets, crepes, scones, patty cakes, coconut slice, and yes, chocolate slice. I still love reading through that book when I go home I swear I can smell each one of the creations as I flip past each well worn page. 
I’m not sure if chocolate slice is just an Australian childhood treat, or if the beauties of this simple to make creation have crossed over the seas. If you have never had a piece of chocolate slice, let me say this. It is best eaten straight out of the fridge. The chocolate-coconut base sets into a slightly candy bar tasting confection this way and the frosting stays hard and fudgy. Also, let me repeat: this recipe is super easy to make. That’s why it’s so wonderful to make with kids, and now with this recipe, even gluten free kids can enjoy this classic treat! The recipe is simply melt and mix. Then bake, cool, and frost. Even the frosting is a simple melt and mix creation. You can see why it was such a common school fete treat – busy parents and carers could easily whip it up the day before – and everyone loves it! 
Chocolate slice is easily whipped up with ingredients you’ll find in your cupboard even if you just bake from time to time. The mix of gluten free flours here is easily found in most supermarkets. Sometimes gluten free recreations of your favourite childhood treats don’t live up to those golden gluten-filled memories from your younger years, but this recipe adapted perfectly, and each piece tastes just like I remember from those long ago treats. I think another batch is in order for the weekend ahead! 
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Slice
gluten free | makes one 8-inch square tray or about 16 pieces | store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week
Ingredients
- 120 grams (1 stick/ 1/2 cup) butter, melted
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) brown sugar
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
- 40 grams sorghum flour
- 30 grams white rice flour
- 30 grams buckwheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 40 grams (1/2 cup) dessicated (finely shredded) coconut
Chocolate Icing
- 1 cup icing sugar (gluten free)
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1-2 tablespoons hot water
- 2 teaspoons butter, melted
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180C (350F) and line an 8-inch (20cm) square baking tin with baking paper.
- In a small bowl whisk together melted butter, sugars, egg, vanilla and coconut extracts.
- In a large bowl whisk together the sorghum flour, white rice flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and dessicated coconut.
- Whisk melted butter mixture into the dry ingredients until fully combined.
- Spread mixture into the base of the lined pan. It is a little sticky so use a silicon scraper to make this easier.
- Bake in pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the slice is firm.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the slice is cooling make the frosting by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Add the extra tablespoon of hot water to make the icing to a spreadable consistency.
- Once slice is cooled spread the frosting over the top. Allow the frosting to set then cut into desired number of pieces.
