Although there is nothing particularly fancy about a jelly slice, I have it on good authority that this is the best recipe out there.
Brooki says…
My mum is the best baker I know. When I signed the deal to write my cookbook, she was the first person I called to share the news. Almost instantly, my messages were flooded with her best baking recipes, providing me with a walk down memory lane. Although there is nothing particularly fancy about a jelly slice, I have it on good authority that this is the best recipe out there.
Growing up in a small country town in Tasmania (Smithton, population 4000) lent itself perfectly to harnessing a love for baking from an early age. Every social gathering, no matter how celebratory or sombre, was an unspoken competition for the best slices and tea biscuits, with all-too-willing attendees eagerly eyeballing the sweets table. And so it is perhaps unsurprising that I would grow up to become a baker with an insatiable sweet tooth, albeit now in the bustling city of Brisbane, far away from my small-town roots, but never too far that my tastebuds matured beyond the classics that shaped my childhood.
Enter: raspberry jelly slice.
It wasn’t until my adult life that I realised jelly slice is considered a retro creation. I lovingly gave the dessert a place in my debut cookbook Bake With Brooki, only to realise from initial feedback that my most beloved childhood dessert was not in fact a household creation everyone had grown up loving and consuming. But it’s not too late to change that and introduce you to something old made new again!
Jelly slice is a sweet, buttery, biscuity, creamy creation that will leave you wanting more. As a child my mum would cut tiny squares in an effort to have us kids feel as though we were getting more than our fair share, because once you start it is hard to stop.
On the bottom layer you have a dense biscuity base, firmly held together with plenty of butter. On top you will find a creamy condensed milk layer that quite effortlessly melts in your mouth, topped with a generous layer of raspberry jelly that really makes this slice pop – both in colour and taste!
This recipe is effortless and easy to follow, making it the perfect “take over” treat for your next social gathering.
BAKE WITH BROOKI, THE DEBUT COOKBOOK FROM BROOKE BELLAMY, IS OUT 29 OCTOBER.
Jelly Slice
Ingredients
Serves: 12
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 3 hours + overnight
85g packet red jelly crystals
250g Arnott’s Milk Arrowroot biscuits
170g unsalted butter, melted
395g can sweetened condensed milk
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons of cold water
3 teaspoons of gelatine
Method
Prepare jelly according to the packet instructions and set aside to cool at room temperature.
Grease and line a 24 × 15.5cm rectangular baking tin with baking paper, ensuring two sides overhang for easy removal.
Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to a fine crumb. Pour over the melted butter and mix until combined. Transfer the biscuit base into the prepared tin and use the back of a metal spoon or base of a glass to firmly press the mixture down and ensure it is even. Refrigerate to set, about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine. Mix until dissolved. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix the condensed milk with the lemon juice. Add the gelatine mixture and whisk until completely combined.
Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and place in the fridge to set, around 1 hour.
Gently pour the cooled jelly over the top of the slice and refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight. Slice once set. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Published in Ed#717