Melanie’s Mum’s Jelly Slice!

Here’s a blast from my dietary past! One of my fond childhood memories was traipsing home from primary school with my friend, Melanie, to either her house or to my own for afternoon tea. On days when we were en route to my house, I would be hoping that my mum had bought a packet of biscuits for afternoon tea, rather than have something home-made. What an ungracious attitude I had, with history repeating itself with my own kids in years to come!

But if we were on the way to Melanie’s house I would be secretly hoping that her mum had baked, rather than opened a packet as she made sweet treats that my mother would never consider; like lemon coconut squares and raspberry jelly slice!

Considering this now, I reflect on how few kids share this opportunity now. How many kids commute to school on foot these days? Or ride their bike? I remember the bike sheds at school being a huge enclosure that got locked during class times. Behind it was a place to hide from the boys; or WITH the boys – or so they told me!! Back then a pick-up zone at the school never existed, and there was never any homework to do. Tuck-shop lunch was a paper bag with a menu written on it, otherwise a home-made lunch came in a lunch box, replete with watery tomato sandwiches or squashed banana!

Oh well, times do change.

So in the name of progress I have updated this jelly slice recipe that Melanie’s mum used to make. No longer based on sweetened condensed milk, I have used cream cheese – you could use labna or soft goats cheese if you like. Instead of the jelly crystals, I have made my own jelly with fruit juice. Experiment with whatever juice you like, I used a cranberry/apple mix for the pretty colour but you can use whatever you have on hand. It is gluten-free of course, with a little added protein powder to help negate the carbs but you can leave this out if you don’t have any. And almost raw too if you don’t count the topping!

Rind of 1 large lemon, divided

140g raw almonds

40g coconut

25g vanilla protein powder

1 tab psyllium (optional but it helps to keep it together)

40g dates

50g butter

FILLING

40g rapadura sugar or honey

60g lemon juice (from the lemon)

2 teas gelatine*

250g cream cheese or labna or thick Greek yoghurt

120g sour cream or thick Greek yoghurt

a few drops of stevia (optional)

TOPPING

300g cranberry juice (or blackberry)

1 tab gelatine**

Sprinkle the 2 teaspoons of gelatine on the lemon juice and allow to bloom for 5 minutes. Then heat gently in a pan, stirring to dissolve the gelatine and set aside.

Mill HALF of the lemon rind in the TM on SP 9 for 10 seconds. Add the nuts, coconut, protein powder, psyllium, dates and butter and mix on SP 8 for 10 seconds until it comes together – you may need to add a drop of water if the dates are very dry. Press into a square cake tin that has been lined with baking paper (for easy removal). Set aside in the freezer while you make the filling.

Without washing the bowl, mill the remaining lemon rind with the sugar on SP 9 for 10 seconds. Add the cheese, cream, lemon & gelatine mixture and blend on SP 5 until well combined. *If you are substituting Greek yoghurt for cream cheese you might want to increase the gelatine to 1 tablespoon here. Taste for sweetness, adding a little stevia if desired. Pour on the base and tap the tin to level. Place in the fridge while you prepare the topping.

Add the juice and gelatine to the TM and cook for 2 minutes at 70°C at SP 1. Let cool for about 15 minutes and then gently pour onto the cream cheese mix and allow to set for at least 3 hours.  ** If you are using a very acidic cranberry juice, you may need to increase the gelatine to 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon here as highly acidic liquids prevent gelatine from setting firmly. I used an apple & cranberry juice mix.

The filling ingredients are pretty interchangeable; ie. cream cheese, labna, goats curd, Greek yoghurt etc,  but I don’t think that using 100% Greek yoghurt would work very well.

Enjoy! It is a big hit with the kids, even the grown up ones!