Jelly Slice

Jelly slice - no baking required!

INGREDIENTS

Base

• 250g plain sweet biscuits (Arnotts Marie biscuits recommended)
• 175g butter, melted
• pinch of ground cinnamon

Filling

• 380g can skim sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup (125mL) strained lemon juice
• 3/4 cup (180mL) boiling water
• 2 teaspoons gelatine powder

Topping

• 85g red (strawberry flavour) jelly crystals
• water as directed by packet (see notes in Method)

 METHOD

1. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm x 30cm slice pan, extending the paper 2cm above the sides of the pan.
2. Process the biscuits in a food processor to produce fine crumbs. Don't worry if there are a few coarser crumbs in amongst them. Add butter and cinnamon and process again. Press the biscuit mixture into the base of the prepared pan with the back of a spoon. Try to use medium firmness and create a nice level base. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm
   
3. Combine the condensed milk with the lemon juice in a medium bowl.
4. Combine boiling water and gelatine in a small jug. Stir until competely dissolved, then stir into the condensed milk mixture. Pour over the biscuit base and return to the refrigerator for 1 hour or until set.
5. Meanwhile (as soon as the other parts are in the fridge), prepare the jelly according to the packet instructions, but use 100mL less cold water than directed. Allow it to come to room temperature. Pour the jelly mixture over the set milk filling. Chill for a further hour or until jelly is set.
6. Carefully remove slice from pan, then slice to serve. The paper extended above the pan edge is intended to help you remove the slice for serving.

NOTES - 28 August 2020

This was my first "break out" recipe, departing from chocolate caramel slice. It was inspired by childhood memories of the slices that the mother of a friend would make during school holidays. It was always a case of "wow, look what she made now!", and I'll never forget the time she made this slice topped with lime jelly.

Anyway, this is a pretty simple, no bake, all chill recipe, and not very much can go wrong with it. This was a very, very acceptable result first time out. Be aware that, if your first two layers are not spread right into the edge of the tin, your jelly will make its way down to the base level, flavouring and softening it. This can be a welcome effect, but usually it's not.

For my personal taste, I would drop the cinnamon from the base of this particular recipe unless you're using an obviously complementary jelly topping, e.g. blackberry. I don't think the cinnamon tones well with strawberry jelly.

Otherwise, the field is wide open for variations on this theme, which I did with the lemon jelly slice. You can safely add or subtract flavouring ingredients, as long as you leave the major elements intact.

This slice was safely portioned using a long curved pizza cutter, which was a very satisfying experience!