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Crispy Cashew Slice_c_Melanie Jenkins (Flash Studios)

Summer Favourites by Vanya Insull offers classic Kiwi recipes, but with a summery, lighter feel. Featuring more than 70 recipes that you will turn to again and again, the book is destined to be one of your most well-thumbed cookbooks, with dishes to tickle the taste buds of even the fussiest of eaters.

If you have a sweet tooth or are a big caramel fan, you can double the caramel layer in this recipe. The cashews and rice bubbles make a tasty, crispy base.

Crispy Cashew Caramel Slice

Ingredients

200 g (7 oz) butter

½ cup white sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

1½ cups self-raising flour

1½ cups rice bubbles

1 cup roasted cashews, chopped

Caramel Filling

395 g (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp golden syrup

Chocolate Layer

200 g (7 oz) milk or dark chocolate

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

•  Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) fan bake. Line a 27 x 17 cm (10¾ x 6½ in) slice tin with baking paper.

•  To make the base, place the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a large microwave-proof bowl and microwave until melted. Stir to combine.

•  Stir in the flour, rice bubbles and cashews.

•  Transfer to the prepared tin and press out to the edges. Bake for 10 minutes.

•  While the base is baking, make the caramel filling by combining the ingredients in a pot and stirring over a low heat until smooth.

•  Spread the hot caramel filling over the base, then return the slice to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin.

•  To make the chocolate layer, place the chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl and microwave in bursts until melted. Add the oil and whisk until smooth. Spread over the cooled slice.

•  Chill until the topping has set, then cut into 20 bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Images and text from Summer Favourites by Vanya Insull, photography by Melanie Jenkins (Flash Studios), published by Allen & Unwin, RRP $39.99.