National Picnic Week - Aussie Crunch

This week Unilever sent me a basket full of goodies - and it was sunny outside... What better inspiration for the creation of perfect picnic fodder? So I put my thinking cap on... What is easy to make, tastes amazing and is loved by everyone who tries it...? It has to be Aussie Crunch. Never heard of it? You're probably not from Bolton then. 

I first posted about Aussie Crunch back in February 2012, and since then I have had hoards of people telling me how they loved it as a child, and have recreated it from my recipe. Aussie Crunch is all about happy memories, both as a child and now as an adult. We had it from the tuck shop at school, at the leisure centre after swimming lessons and roller skating parties and now I make it for bake sales, for my friends and even whipped up a batch for my brother's wedding day breakfast! It's a great all rounder.

So what is it? It's a crisp chocolatey base smothered in melted chocolate. I have never met anyone yet who doesn't like it - even though it contains coconut... it's like a magic ingredient that you can't taste! 

As soon as I saw Flora Buttery in that hamper, I knew exactly what to do. No ham butties on my menu!  I sometimes make my Aussie Crunch with different toppings too. When it snowed I made a Milkybar version, for something a little fancier you can marble milk and white chocolate, add chocolate curls or hundreds and thousands... but the best way is as it was served in our childhood; with a thick layer of milk chocolate.

Pop this one in your cool bag on your picnic, and you'll have them eating out of the palm of your hand - literally if you're not quick!

Here's my recipe. It's really easy to make, so with a little supervision you can get the kids involved too.

Ingredients:

• 200g Flora Buttery
• 140g golden caster sugar
• 85g desiccated coconut
• 75g crushed cornflakes
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 140g self raising flour
• 230g bar of Cadbury’s chocolate

Method:

1. Melt the Flora in the microwave.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Pour in the Flora and mix until well combined.
4. Pour into a Swiss roll tin (I use disposable tray bake trays from Asda).
5. Squash it down with the back of a spoon - make sure you push it into all the corners!
6. Bake at 180c/gas 4 for 35 minutes. It should be shrinking from the sides.
7. Allow to cool.
8. When cool, melt the chocolate over a bain-marie (don’t be tempted to do it in the microwave!) and pour over the Crunch. Level off with a spatula and pop in the fridge to set. This takes about an hour.
9. Take out of the fridge about 30 mins before eating (so it’s easier to cut) and cut into slabs!

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