Australian Crunchie (Coconut Chocolate Slices)

5 from 2 votes

Australian Crunchie (Coconut Chocolate Slices)

Australian Crunchie is a quick and easy recipe for tempting coconut chocolate slices made with cornflakes and desiccated coconut. These Aussue Crunch bars are ready to bake in 10 minutes and look wildly impressive when topped with chocolate and sprinkles. Recipe adapted from Bero Flour Home Recipes (40th Edition)

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Baking

Cuisine: British

Servings:

Calories: 272kcal

Author: Jane Coupland

Equipment

An 8x8-inch (20x20cm) baking tin

Ingredients

225 g Butter or baking margarine
100 g Caster sugar
2 tablespoon Golden syrup or corn syrup/ honey
75 g Desiccated coconut
125 g Plain flour all-purpose
75 g Cornflakes Kellogg's
2½ tablespoon Cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon Salt
45 g Raisins
150 g Milk Chocolate
1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Sprinkles optional but if using make them crunchy ones

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Use your hands to crush the cornflakes until quite small - don't be tempted to leave them whole as the bars will end up falling apart
Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/ GM4 and grease and line an 8x8-inch (20x20cm) baking tin
If using raisins chop as finely as possible - again, cutting them up means the bars will hold together better
Melt the butter and golden syrup in a large saucepan over a low heat
use a wooden spoon to stir in the sugar, coconut, cornflakes, cocoa powder, salt and raisins until well mixed and no streaks of flour remain
Turn into a greased and lined baking tin, press down with the back of a spoon until the top looks even and cook for 20 minutes
Let cool completely. If not covering with chocolate, now is the time to cut into squares, slices or traingles
If covering with chocolate, melt the chocolate either in the microwave or in a bain Marie. Mix in the oil then spread over the top of the bake and scatter sprinkles over if using
Let the chocolate set then cut into pieces
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days

Notes

For the best results use digital scales to weigh out your ingredients out. It's a far more accurate method of measuring ingredients than cups
It is inevitable that these bars will crumble a little when cut - go with it and embrace the rustic nature of these coconut chocolate bars
To minimise the crumbling, crush the cornflakes well to ensure the bars hold together rather than breaking up too much when cut
If dried fruit is included in your bars it is essential to chop it finely. Do not leave them whole as the bars will be more prone to crumbling
I've used plain flour simply because this is not a bake that needs to rise like a cake does, so I saw no reason to include a leavening agent. The original recipe uses self-raising flour, so if this is what you have to hand, it is fine to use it
Use a warm knife to cut the bars neatly without shattering the chocolate. Wiping the knife clean and reheating between each cut also ensures a neater finish

Storage Instructions

Once cold Aussie Crunch can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. I have found that using a glass jar with a clip-top lid (like a Kilner jar) keeps all bars and cookies exceedingly fresh. When stored like this they will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Simply let thaw for several hours on the countertop when required.

Nutrition