Stickifingers

Easy old fashioned Aussie lemon slice.

It’s no fuss. No rolling pastry or chilling the base. No cooling the base after baking, just pour the eggy lemon topping straight on top.

The bright colour, clear tangy lemon flavour and rich texture of mine can be put down to it being made with bright, thick eggs from true free roaming chickens, and a neighbour’s zesty homegrown lemons from a very old tree. Artisan butter from Myrtleford Butter Factory made the base deliciously luxurious and decadent.

So if you want to make it very special, consider the best possible ingredients.

LEMON SLICE

125g butter

40g icing sugar

185g plain flour

3 eggs

220g caster sugar

Grated rind of a lemon

125ml lemon juice

Cream the butter and icing sugar, then stir in 150g of the flour to form a dough.

Press the dough into a square Lamington or slice tin/tray fully lined with baking paper that over hangs the sides. You’ll later use this to lift the slice from the tray. Bake at 180°c for 15minutes or until golden.

While it bakes, whisk together the eggs, the remaining flour, caster sugar, juice and rind.

Pour the lemon custard over the hot pastry base and continue to bake for another 20minutes. It should firm up, the top will have a matte finish.

Leave the slice to cool in the tray, sitting on a rack. Lift it out using the paper when cold, slice into squares and finish by dusting with icing sugar before serving.