Raspberry Coconut Slice

Vive La France!

I say that, because I adore and love France, where I first ate this little beauties. And in these freezing post-Christmas months, I dream slash bake myself away to Provence.

Basically, the south of France is a little cobbled haven for baked goods. Frangipane, macaron, tarte citron AND MORE! I sample and love them all. Recently I realised that I have no idea what these are called (in French, or in English), and they don’t hang around long enough for me to care. You gotta eat them fast or they will melt.. is my excuse.

My grandparents have a house in the south of France, and it is one of my favourite places in the world. These cold, miserable, dark winter nights I think about the delicious food and weather, and these coconutty, jammy squares give me a taste of sunshine.

Ingredients for the base

• 200g plain flour
• 60g caster sugar
• 100g butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp ice water

Ingredients for the rest

• 200g raspberry jam
• 3 egg whites
• 100g caster sugar
• 150g dessicated coconut
• 50g dark chocolate, to decorate

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees, and grease and line a rectangular baking tray.

Add flour to a bowl, rub in butter until you get fine breadcrumbs.

Add in caster sugar, and stir through.

Make a well, add 2 egg yolks and water and stir through.

Roll out and place into the tin. I do this by tracing around the tin onto greaseproof paper, then rolling directly onto this, and slicing off the excess, so that it fits nicely into the tin.

Spread over the jam evenly.

Whip the egg whites separately, then whip in the 55g caster sugar, until glossy. 

Fold in the coconut and spread over the jam layer. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden and crisp. Fuuuull disclosure – I let mine cook for too long. Mine is what 35 minutes looks like. But then I did the final step (cover it in chocolate!) and it all looked ok.

So, melt the chocolate, and drizzle over in a random pattern. Allow to set, then slice into squares and serve.

Sacre Bleu!

YUM!