Belgium slice

MAKES 12-16 PIECES

Less sweet than the original but still beautifully spiced, this slice is a winner. The raspberry jam, which uses chia seeds to set it instead of sugar, is miraculous.

½ cup homemade raspberry

chia jam (see below)

120g coconut oil, softened

100g coconut sugar

1 egg

120g buckwheat flour

120g rice flour (or other

gluten-free flour)

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

Pinch salt

1 cup icing sugar

Few drops of lemon juice/water

2 tbsp freeze- dried

raspberry powder

1 Make the raspberry jam as below and allow to cool.

2 Preheat oven to 170oC. Grease a 20cm x 24cm (or similar) shallow baking tin.

3 In a bowl, beat the coconut oil and coconut sugar until creamy. Add in the egg and continue to beat until combined. Add the flours, spices, baking powder and soda, and salt, mixing to a soft dough. Take half the dough and place it between two sheets of baking paper. Roll it out to the shape/size of your tin and transfer the dough gently to its lined base. Peel away the top sheet of baking paper and trim the dough base to fit. Roll out the remaining dough, between paper, for the lid. Place both the base and the lid in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes.

4 Spread the base evenly with your cooled jam. Carefully place the top on (and don’t worry if it tears a little as this will smooth out during cooking) then press the sides into the tin. Prick all over with a fork.

5 Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the slice feels set on top. Place it on a rack to cool.

6 Mix the icing sugar with just enough lemon juice or water to make a runny icing. When the slice is cool, spread the icing on and sprinkle with the raspberry powder.

7 Cut into squares with a sharp knife and store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

RASPBERRY JAM

(NO REFINED SUGAR!)

2 cups frozen raspberries

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp maple syrup

4 tbsp chia seeds

1 Put the raspberries, water and syrup in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Mash the raspberries and add the chia seeds.

2 Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes, for the seeds to absorb the liquid and thicken.