The Best Air Fryer Chocolate and Coconut Weet-Bix Slice

This chocolatey, crunchy biscuit slice with a rich chocolate icing will hold it's own and steal the show on any coffee table. It is like a little slice of Aussie history on a plate, but the Air Fryer has brought it back on board to now. This is the first sweet confection I have made in my new Russell Hobbs air-fryer (no promo intended) and I'm  thrilled with the result. 

 Hello, do you need to make up an easy slice in a hurry because you've just heard that unexpected visitors are on their way. Even though I don't think that for friends that drop in uninvited there is an obligation to have something to eat on hand, I think it's nice to serve something delicious with a cup of tea or coffee. Because you do love to see your friends anytime don't you? I think I get that from my Mum, who always had home-made cakes and biscuits in the cake and biscuit tins, just in case. What do you think? It's a different era now though, people don't tend to just drop in for a spontaneous visit anymore, or do they? We still have a few close friends who do just drop in for a visit. Do you?

When I mentioned in a previous post that I had bought an Air Fryer, I was quite surprised at how many of my readers commented that they own an air fryer but don't use it very much or even at all. This recipe is for you. You will want to give your Air Fryer a big hug after you make this slice.

All Air fryers aren't made equal. The size of the Air Fryer basket can be different in everyone of them. For this recipe you will need a 20 cm square or round baking tin. The square tin doesn't fit in my air fryer basket so I used a standard round 20 cm cake tin. The round tin did the job beautifully, even though a few of the slices had a curved edge, not a problem.

This recipe is based on one by Steph de Sousa, from her Air Fryer Queen recipe book, which was a Christmas gift from my lovely daughter. She loves her Air Fryer too.

Perfectly sliced into squares by Mr. HRK.

Let's Cook:

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes 22 slices or more, depending on how small you cut your slices)

3 WEET-BIX

1/2 CUP CASTER SUGAR

1 CUP SELF-RAISING WHOLEMEAL FLOUR (OR PLAIN FLOUR IF YOU WISH)

1 CUP DESICCATED COCONUT (SHREDDED COCONUT WORK WELL TOO,  I'VE USED BOTH) 

2 TBSP DUTCH COCOA POWDER

150 G BUTTER, CHOPPED

CHOCOLATE ICING:

2 CUPS ICING SUGAR 

1 1/2 TBSP DUTCH COCOA POWDER

1 TBS SOFTENED BUTTER

2 TSP DESICCATED COCONUT FOR SPRINKLING ON TOP

2-3 TABLESPOONS WATER

METHOD:

Preparation and cooking time:30 mins (+cooling)

Makes 22 slices approximately

Cook for 18-20 minutes (See note below)

Crunch up those Weet-Bix into a medium sized bowl. Just use your clean hands. 

Add the other dry ingredients: sugar, flour, coconut and cocoa. Stir them all up to mix well.

It's time to mix in the butter. Melt the butter in the microwave in bursts of 15-seconds at a time, and mix into the dry ingredients. 

Grease your 20cm tin, round or square., and line it with baking paper.

Spoon your mix into the cake tin and press it down firmly. If you have a small bottle, shaped like a milk bottle, that is perfect to use. Or use the back of a spoon to even up the top.

Your are ready to go!

Pop the cake tin in the air fryer basket and set the temperature to 160 deg C and the timer to 18 minutes. NOTE: It might need to cook for 20 minutes, however check it after 18 just to ensure it isn't browning too much. Mine is perfectly cooked after 20 minutes.

Let's make the delicious gooey chocolate icing:

While the base is cooking, into a bowl combine the sifted icing sugar and sifted cocoa, softened butter, and 2 tablespoons water. Add an extra tablespoon of water slowly until your icing is the correct thickness for spreading on your Weet-Bix slice. It will be thick.

Take your tin carefully out of the air-fryer basket, and slather the icing over your biscuit slice while it is still hot. Sprinkle on the coconut. 

Place it in the fridge, to chill and cool off completely in the pan. This is essential if you are living through a Southern Hemisphere Summer like I am. 

When chilled, lift it out and cut up into delicious slices. It should make about 22 slices depending on how small you slice them up.

COOKING NOTES:

• The first time I made this slice, I realised at the last minute that I had run out of desiccated coconut, thanks to all those Rum Balls etc that I had made over Christmas. So I used the shredded coconut I had on hand. I can't see much difference in the result at all, except that sprinkling shredded coconut as a topping on the slice looks more rustic than using desiccated coconut. Photo below. 
• In the North Queensland tropics it's a good idea not to let your desiccated and shredded coconut sit for too long in the cupboard. It will go slightly rancid.
• Sanitarium Weet-Bix is a very popular breakfast cereal in Australia, and what I love about this slice is that you will already have most of the ingredients readily on hand. It's economical to make for most households. However if you don't eat Weet-Bix, it is very reasonable to buy from the supermarket, and will be a healthy alternative to your normal brekkie. I love to eat mine with fresh fruit. My son even buys a version of Weet-Bix in France, which could be used for this recipe. ( No promo of Weet-Bix intended.)
• Speaking of variations to the recipe, the first time I made this slice I also used Wholemeal Self-Raising flour, which was still delicious, and makes it a touch more healthy for the kids. So I used Shredded coconut and Wholemeal Self-Raising flour the first time I made it, and honestly It probably wasn't as fudgy, but was still perfect. 
• The first time, I didn't use my best Dutch cocoa powder either, still amazing. Wow what a hit of chocolate I get though when I use Dutch Cocoa Powder.
• If you have an insatiable sweet tooth , you will just love this slice.
• This is a photo from the first time I made this slice, using shredded coconut. A little more rustic looking perhaps, but just as delicious. I made this one just a few days ago, of course they are all gone. What do you think about using the shredded coconut for a toping?

This recipe has always traditionally been baked in a conventional oven, and over the years the hard working Country Women's Association of Australia and the Australian Women's Weekly have published their versions of this recipe. This is a link to the normal oven recipe for Chocolate and Coconut Weet-Bix Slice from the Australian Women's Weekly. However, I am smitten now with cooking this slice in my Air Fryer, my kitchen stayed much cooler during the whole process and there is no risk of burning it. After all, the Air Fryer is really just another oven.

A batch of this slice would be perfect to have on hand over the weekend. Here in Queensland, at the moment it's the Summer of Cricket and Tennis, so we will be watching some of that this weekend. It's also raining, but not at the cricket. Hope you enjoy a lovely weekend.

Warmest wishes,

Pauline