Virginia Iovine-Turner Cucina Amore www.cucinaamore.co.nz

The demos this week included passing on some tips and sharing a few recipes from my trip to Italy.

I thought I would take myself out of my Italian kitchen and make my favourite slice. I call it my turtle slice; the kids were horrified when I told them what it was called, but I assured them there were no turtles in this slice – just pure chocolate. Made in half an hour, it's my saving grace. Great to freeze.

‘Turtle slice'

Dry Ingredients
2 cups self raising flour
260g melted butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups coconut or sub for corn flakes
2 tbsp cocoa
Approx 1 cup coconut
1/2 cup apricots, chopped or sub for raisins
70g sliced almonds
1 cup chocolate, chopped – dark or white
Condensed milk

Method
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Line a sponge roll tin with baking paper. Mix all the dry ingredients first and press out in the tin. Bake for 17 min until golden. Remove from oven and sprinkle with a little coconut, sprinkle apricots, almonds, then chocolate and finish with coconut covering the chocolate. Pour over the condensed milk – enough to cover the mixture – and place back in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until golden. Allow to cool before cutting.