Packed full with moist dates, cocoa and chocolate chips, this delicious - looking slice is made by melting and mixing the ingredients together - a real time saver!

Ingredients

• Base
• 175 grams butter, unsalted is good here
• ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup coconut (or rolled oats or oat bran)
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• Filling
• ¼ cup cocoa
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ cups flour
• 1 cup caster sugar
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup finely sliced dates
• ½ cup milk
• 75 grams butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• Icing
• 1½ cups icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa, 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Method

1. Base
2. Melt the butter and vanilla essence together. Cool.
3. In a bowl sift the flour, baking powder and brown sugar together. Add the coconut and melted butter and mix well.
4. Spread firmly into the base of a well-greased and lined 24cm x 30cm slice tin. Bake at 180ºC for 10 minutes. Prepare filling while the base is cooking.
5. Filling
6. In a bowl sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Stir in the caster sugar, chocolate chips and dates and make a well in the centre.
7. In a separate bowl blend together the melted butter, eggs and milk. Pour into the dry ingredients and blend gently.
8. Pour over the cooked base and spread out evenly. Bake at 180ºC for 15-20 minutes until the top is firm to the touch. Let it cool before icing.
9. Icing
10. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl. Mix in the melted butter and sufficient hot water to make a thick icing. Allow the icing to set before cutting into slices.