Juda’s Cherry Walnut Slice

Kitchen tested by Picnic Society.

This quick and easy slice recipe has been passed down by my family for generations. There are few recipes around (outside of fruit cakes) that feature glaze cherries and it is this very ingredient combined with the crunch of the walnuts that makes this moorish slice just perfect for a picnic.

Ingredients

• 115 grams pure butter
• 1 3/4 cups self-raising flower
• 1/3 cup castor sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup chopped glaze cherries
• 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
• I teaspoon Vanilla bean paste

Method 

Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan.

After dissolving the sugar into butter take the saucepan off the heat and let it cool enough so that the saucepan is not hot to touch.

Add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly to create a semi dry mix that sticks together.

Spread the mixture into a 25 cm swiss roll tin lined with baking paper. The mixture should be about 1 cm thick and will rise another 1 cm during baking.

Bake in a 175 degree oven for 20 minutes. Check if the slice needs another 4 to 5 minutes based on how golden brown you’d like your slice to look.

Allow to cool before cutting into roughly 4cm pieces. The slice will naturally crumble a bit which is why it has that lovely ‘slightly short bread’ taste to it. The pop of vanilla provided by the vanilla bean paste complements the cherries and walnuts. 

Picnic Tip: Transport the slice in the baking dish and serve with a warm beverage in place of biscuits. All in all, it’s a delightful and different slice to add to your picnic repertoire.