Jaffa Slice

I looooove Jaffas. They are one of my favourite kiwiana treats – right up there with Pineapple Lumps (but only the chewy ones, not the soft ones!) and Gingernuts (for dunking in a hot cup of tea). I love them so much that, while living in Belgium, it has become standard for me to ask visiting NZers to bring a couple of bags with them so I can have a taste of home (assuming they have room after my daughter gets her order in for her favourite NZ treats!). Thankfully, this recipe really does my limited supply justice, bringing together two Kiwi classics – the Jaffa and the no-bake slice. This treat is perfect for the work-shout, afternoon tea, lunchboxes and midnight snacks.

For those of you reading along outside of New Zealand, Jaffas are small chocolate balls covered with a crisp, orange-flavoured candy shell (kind of like an M&M but a little harder). Jaffas are a beloved Kiwi treat. They come in bags to share and in the “giant Jaffa” variety (about the size of a gobstopper). They’re a must-have for long road trips and outings to the movies (where, “back in the old days” they were rolled down the aisles), and (until the recent Cadbury factory closure) 75,000 of the giant variety were raced down the steepest street in the world in Dunedin once a year in aid of various charities (you can see a video here).

If you aren’t living in NZ or Australia (or don’t have Kiwi or Aussie rellies who could send you a couple of bags) then check Amazon for the Australian made version of Jaffas (or find the nearest Australian or New Zealand store), or use M&Ms instead with extra added orange zest in the base. Malt biscuits are also a particularly antipodean thing, so I would suggest substituting graham crackers or marie biscuits instead. However, don’t buy the pre-crushed variety as they are too uniform in texture – break actual cookies down instead as you want a bit of variety in cookie-crumble size to add more texture and crunch to the base.

Jaffa Slice

Two kiwi classics, the refrigerated chocolate slice and those little balls of choc-orange delight, jaffas, come together here in an explosion of patriotic, nostalgic goodness. I dare you to resist licking your fingers.

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Prep Time 30 mins

Chilling time 3 hrs

Total Time 3 hrs 30 mins

Course Baking

Servings 24 pieces

Ingredients

  

Base

• 200 grams butter
• 250 grams dark chocolate chopped
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) cocoa
• 300 grams ( 1 1/2 cups) brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 oranges, zest only finely grated
• 2x 250 gram packets malt biscuits crushed

Topping

• 250 grams dark chocolate chopped
• 50 grams butter
• 1x 180 gram bag Jaffas smashed

Instructions

 

• Grease and line a tin that is about 20 x 30 cm. If you prefer your slice thinner, use a larger tin.
• In a medium pot over a medium heat, melt the butter, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until smooth.
• Whisk in the cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla and orange zest.
• Put the crushed biscuits in a large bowl and pour in the chocolate mixture. Stir until all the biscuits are thoroughly coated.
• Press firmly into prepared tin and smooth the top as much as possible (wet fingers are the best tool for this) the refrigerate until set (about 2 hours).
• To make the topping, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave (or in a bowl over simmering water) and stir well to combine.
• Pour the topping over the chilled base and bang the tin on the bench a few times to level and smooth it off. Sprinkle over the smashed Jaffas and refrigerate for another hour.
• When topping is set firm, cut into squares or fingers with a large sharp knife. Store in the fridge in an airtight container, with baking paper between the layers, for up to one week.

Notes

If you can’t get hold of Jaffas, use M&Ms instead and increase the amount of orange zest to 5 oranges. Malt biscuits can be swapped for Graham Crakers or any other plain biscuit/cookie. Do not use pre-crushed biscuits/cookies as they won’t have the right texture. Instead, crush them yourself to ensure a variety of cookie crumble sizes. 

Keyword chocolate, new zealand, no-bake, slice

Photography by Erina Wood from “Bake Me Home” by Alice Arndell. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.