Orange Caramel Slice bars

Caramel Slice. This australian dessert is for the true sweet-tooths out there. It's incredibly rich, numbingly sweet and remarkably easy...a sinful combination.

I first tried making these bars about a year ago after I purchased the amazing Donna Hay's book Modern Classics 2, and fell in love with them. Because they are so intense, a little goes a long way, and they're definitely crowd pleasers.

After a while, a realized that I wanted to amp up the flavor a bit, so I decided to add a bit of orange marmalade into the mix for a burst of fruit flavor. The recipe is as follows...

Orange Caramel Slice

Adapted from Modern Classics 2: Cookies, biscuits + Slices by Donna Hay

For the crust

1 cup plain all purpose flour

1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened (sweetened will do, just decrease the sugar by a tbsp or two)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup (4 oz) butter, melted

For the filling

3/4 cup orange marmalade

4 oz butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tbsp corn syrup

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

pinch of salt

For the chocolate topping

1 1/4 cup (8 0z) chopped dark chocolate

4 tsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup (1.5 oz) white chocolate (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350* F. Combine the flour, coconut, 1/2 cup brown sugar and melted butter in a bowl and mix well. Press the crust mixture into an 8" x 12" pan, lined with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, microwave the orange marmalade for 5-8 seconds, this is just to loosen it up. Spread the marmalade over the top of the crust evenly, and bake for 15-18 minutes.

As the crust is baking, make the caramel filling. Place remaining 4 oz butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, salt and condensed milk in a saucepan over low heat and stir until thoroughly melted and slightly thickened (about 7 minutes).

Once the crust has baked, pour the caramel mixture over it and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the caramel is golden and bubbly. Place slice in the refrigerator to cool.


Meanwhile, combine the chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over low heat, and stir until melted. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly, then pour and spread over the cooled caramel base.


*For a more decorative flair, melt 1/4 cup white chocolate chips in the microwave (on half setting), then drizzle patterns onto the dark chocolate with a fork or spoon.

Refrigerate until firm enough to cut into slices, about 1-2 hours.

Makes 24 caramelly slices...