Nana's caramel slice

I really need to start with a disclaimer of sorts... my baking never tastes as good as my Nana's.  I don't know why this is!  Could it be that extra ingredient being year's of baking experience? I recon this is something we can all relate to - making a recipe that a family member or friend makes & never feeling as though ours tastes as good as theirs!

Disclaimer aside, I have to say that this caramel slice is mighty delicious & super easy to make.  What sets it apart from your run of the mill caramel slice is the meringue topping...oh yes you read correctly... it has a meringue topping.  Yum-o!  The caramel is quite gooey but then again, that could be because as I type this my slice is still slightly warm! 

Anyway, I'll cut to the chase & get straight to the recipe because this is something you will want to make for yourselves! 

First thing you need to do is heat your oven to 180 C.  Then, make sure you have a suitable tin.  Mine was 28 x 18cm with a depth of 3.5cm.  You could also try using a swiss roll tin 33 x 23cm).

Sweet pastry for the base

4 ozs cold butter (equal to exactly 112 grams)

4 ozs sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions for the base...

1. Cut the butter into cubes.  Throw everything except the egg into a food processor & blitz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the egg & blitz again until the pastry just starts to come together.  Have faith with this..for a moment there I didn't think it would come together & then I thought, who am I kidding this is my Nana's recipe I trust it completely!
3. Place the pastry onto some baking paper which is the right size to line the tin.  Quickly knead the pastry so it comes together a bit more & then flatten slightly into roughly the shape of your tin.  The roll out the pastry slightly & then lift it into the bottom of your tin.  At this stage, I broke some of the pastry off & used it to cover the sides.  Then I flattened it all nicely with the back of a spoon which resulted in a smooth, even base. (My usual tip applies here, spray some cooking spray on your tin before you place the baking paper with pastry on top.  This just stops the paper moving around).

Caramel filling

3/4 C brown sugar

2 ozs butter (56 grams)

2 tablespoons golden syrup

2 tablespoons flour

2 egg yolks (set egg whites aside for the meringue)

1/2 tin condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Instructions for caramel filling...

1. Put everything in a saucepan on the stove top & heat until all the butter has melted.  Stir constantly.
2. Spread evenly over the pastry base. 

Meringue topping

2 egg whites

4 tablespoons sugar

Instructions for meringue topping...

1. Beat egg whites until stiff.  To give you an idea of the consistency, you want to be able to tip the bowl upside down without the egg whites falling out!  They need to be really fluffy & hold their shape.
2. Stir in the sugar & then spread the meringue evenly over the caramel mixture.

Finally, bake the slice in the oven for 45-50 minutes & allow to cool completely before slicing.  Although if you're anything like me you won't be able to wait that long & will want to sample a piece while it's still warm!

And that's it!  So simple to make & so delicious!  Best enjoyed with a good cuppa as always!