blueberry crumble slice

Australians and New Zealanders love a slice. There's nowhere else in the world where a slice means what it does to us. I remember confusing my American cousin with talk of ‘making a weetbix slice’ - explaining weetbix was tough enough (there's no equivalent in the US, with all cereal being bite size), but then I also had to explain a slice! I deferred to the Australian Women's Weekly definition: 

​‘Somewhere between a cake and a tart and baked in a large slab, slices are sweet treats that can be made of one mixture or have multiple layers, with a base that’s covered with a topping and/or a filling’.

This Blueberry Crumble Slice is so delicious and surprisingly simple and speedy to make. That's because it gives the illusion of having three separate layers; in actual fact it's just a classic crumble mixture pressed into a brownie tin then a scattering of blueberries, which are then sandwiched under another layer of crumble placed on top.

Makes 12-16 portions
Prep Time: 15 mins, Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:
1 egg
125g butter 
1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup plain all purpose flour
1.5 cups rolled oats
100 g dried blueberries

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°c/160°c fan force. Line a 20cm square brownie tin or cake pan.

Put blueberries in a bowl and pour boiling water over them just to barely cover them. Leave them to soak for 15 mins.

Melt the butter - it needs to be just melted, not hot. 

Put melted butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk them together. Add the egg and vanilla then whisk again until combined.

Add the flour and the rolled oats, mix well with a spatula or wooden spoon. 

Spoon about two-thirds of the mix into your lined pan. Use a spatula, back of a spoon or clean hands to press the mixture into the tin so its firmly packed 

Drain the blueberries (you can discard the liquid) and scatter them on top of the oat mix.

Spoon the remaining oat mix on top of the blueberries then press down all over the surface with a spatula to keep it firmly in place (note that this top layer of the mixture will not totally cover the blueberries, its more of a sparse scattering and it doesn't matter if there are gaps).

Bake for 20-25 minutes (turning the tin once after 15 mins to ensure even baking) or until the edges are golden and start to come away from the edge of the pan.

Allow to cool in the tin before slicing into 12-16 squares or bars.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for 1 month.

Pimp My Recipe 
Try different dried fruits like apricots, strawberries or figs. (You'll need to chop them into smaller pieces before soaking)

Add the zest of one orange or lemon to the oat mixture for a citrus twist.

Drizzle a little icing on top of the cooled slice. A quick and delicious lemon icing can be made by whisking 1 cup icing sugar and 1-2 tsp lemon juice together.