Caramel slice and a barfi-spiced twist

Ingredients

Base

• 200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter, melted
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 270 g (9½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 70 g (2½ oz) desiccated coconut
• 190 g (6¾ oz) soft brown sugar

Caramel

• 200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter
• 190 g (6¾ oz) soft brown sugar
• 2 395 g (13¾ oz) cans sweetened condensed milk

For OG, add:

• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• ½ tsp salt

For barfi-spiced, add:

• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• ¾ fresh nutmeg (3 g), finely grated

Chocolate

• 200 g (7 oz) milk chocolate, chopped
• 150 g (5½ oz) dark chocolate, chopped
• 15 g (½ oz) unsalted butter

For barfi-spiced, add:

• 10 g (¼ oz) chopped toasted pistachio kernels

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray (I use a 24 × 34 cm/9½ × 13½ inch tray) with baking paper. (You can put a bit of butter between the paper and the tray to make sure it sticks and doesn’t move too much, if you like.)
2. To make the base, mix the melted butter and vanilla in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients with a good pinch of salt. Mix in the butter mixture. Evenly distribute the mixture over the prepared tray (I find the back of a spoon works best) and bake until lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes.
3. OPTION 1: OG To make the caramel, get the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, whisk or stir constantly until it begins to bubble. Keep stirring for about 30–40 seconds, then, while continuing to whisk, add the condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Cook, still stirring, until the mixture becomes golden brown and begins to bubble. As soon as this happens, take off the heat, pour the mixture straight over the base and spread evenly. Put the tray back in the oven for a further 15 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool to room temperature.
4. OPTION 2: BARFI-SPICED Do the same as option 1, adding the vanilla, cardamom and nutmeg along with the condensed milk.
5. To finish: Either use a microwave to melt all the chocolate ingredients and a pinch of salt (try 20-second bursts) or use a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and gradually heat until everything is melted. Pour on top of the caramel layer (the caramel should be cool before you do this). Sprinkle with pistachio if making the barfi-spiced version.
6. Let the three-layered sweet chill in the fridge until the chocolate is set, about 4 hours. Slice (see Note) and serve.