Scott’s Farewell Square

Alexa Johnston

The name of this chocolate slice relates to Captain Robert Scott sailing south from Dunedin in November 1910 on the Terra Nova expedition. I imagine it being presented to the famous explorer on a pretty plate at a civic afternoon tea. It contains plenty to sustain a traveller on a long cold, journey – dates, raisins, coconut, walnuts, cocoa, butter, sugar, golden syrup, an egg, and even crushed Weet-Bix. Take it next time you go trekking, in memory of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration.

115g butter

170g brown sugar

2 teaspoons golden syrup

1 egg

170g flour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon cocoa

85g desiccated coconut

55g walnuts

4 Weet-Bix

115g dates

85g raisins

Chocolate icing:

120g icing sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons cocoa

25g butter, melted

extra desiccated coconut

 

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Butter or line a shallow tin with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar until light, then stir in the golden syrup and egg.

Sift in the flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa. Mix to combine and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir thoroughly. 

Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly.

Bake for 15–20 minutes. Remove from the oven and put on a wire rack to cool.

Icing: combine the icing sugar, cocoa, melted butter and a little hot water, and mix to a spreading consistency.

Spread over the slice and sprinkle with extra desiccated coconut.

Cut into squares when the icing has set. Omit the icing if you are planning to carry this in a lunchbox or pack.

Tip: Toast the extra coconut for a few minutes over a gentle heat in a dry frying pan, before sprinkling over the iced slice.