Chocolate and Walnut Slice

The other morning, I woke with an uncurable urge to break out the butter and the sugar and to bake something insanely indulgent and over the top. It had been building up for quite a while, but finally enough was enough. I needed to bake something now, and petty things like the Christmas chocolates still hanging around and the freezer full of stockpiled baked goods weren't going to stop me. 

The fantasy started with cupcakes. Glorious, fluffy cupcakes, with luscious swirls of smooth buttercream on top. Then it was iced donuts, glorious sweet donuts with icing dripping down the sides and sprinkles on top. Then it was slice. Gooey, chocolatey, sugary slice with layers of deliciousness and drizzled with more chocolate on top.

This slice is something I made up using a tart base and topping I'd made before and loved and a fudge recipe I found online, but it fulfilled my fantasy perfectly. The spongey walnut layer, the soft chocolate, the shortbread-like base- this is the perfect sugar hit for those days when you just couldn't care less about your health (not that it's that bad really, it's just that I've been on a sugar-free baking kick lately so it feels indulgent haha). The recipe's a bit time-consuming in that there's a fair bit of baking, cooling and freezing, but the preps short so it's perfect for a day spent at home!

Enjoy!
Mia :)

Chocolate and Walnut Slice
Based on: http://www.woolworths.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/Website/Woolworths/FreshFoodIdeas/Recipes/Recipes-Content/Double-Chocolate-Fudge-Brownies and  http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/raspberry_walnut_tart/


Crust:
1 1/2 cups (200g) flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar (80g)
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup or 12 Tbsp) butter

Fudge:
125g dark chocolate
1 cups CSR Caster Sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup flour
1/8 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup cocoa

Topping:
3/4 cup (75g) chopped walnuts
2 eggs
3/4 cup (150g) white granulated sugar
1/4 (35g) cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method

1 Make the crust. Place the crust ingredients—flour, powdered sugar, and butter—in a blender or food processor. Process until a dough forms, about 30 seconds to a minute. Line the inside of a 30cm by 20cm slice pan with baking paper and place the dough in the tart pan. Use your fingers to spread the dough and press it evenly all over the base of the slice pan. Place in the freezer and freeze for one hour or longer.

2. Pre-bake in a 175°C (350°C) oven for 25  minutes. (It helps if before baking you line the crust with aluminum foil or baking paper and fill with pie weights, such as dry beans; this will keep the tart crust from slumping.)  Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, begin making the fudge mixture by melting the chocolate. Beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla with an electric beater and then add the chocolate flour and cocoa, beating until combined.

4. When the base is cool, pour over the fudge mixture and return to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the fudge is slightly set (it will still be almost liquid, but that's fine so long as you're gentle with the next layer).

3 While that cooks, Beat together the remaining filling ingredients—eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla—until smooth. Add the walnuts and stir to combine. Pour over the fudge.

4 Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 40 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned all over and the top layer has set. Allow to cool and slice!