Mint Chocolate Slice...

A good friend of mine was diagnosed as Coeliac a couple of years ago and after spending a fortune on gluten free products ranging from cakes to breads and pasta, he gave up. He found he was paying way over the odds for GF products that didn't even taste nice, simply to say he could still eat cake. After over 18 months of never having a treat (or sneaking the occasional wheat flour cookie & feeling ill afterwards), he has started baking my recipes. He feels great, like he isn't missing out on anything, and as someone who trains quite hard for his chosen sport, he's thrilled that he's not sabotaging his efforts by eating processed foods containing all sorts of unpronounceable ingredients. 

Inspired by a trip to a cafe last week, he asked me to make a mint chocolate tray bake....EASY!!! Super easy to make and amazing tasting, I can't wait to hear if you manage to just eat one!! 

For the chocolate cake:

• 150g butter, melted
• 3 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 4 eggs, separated
• 100g ground almonds
• 60g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp GF baking powder

Preheat oven to 160d (fan). Line an 8" square tin with baking parchment. 

Mix melted butter, honey, vanilla & mint with the egg yolks until well combined. 

Stir in the ground almonds, cocoa & baking powder. 

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff glossy peaks. 

Fold egg whites into the ground almond mixture gradually until fully mixed. Do this in a couple of stages to avoid knocking out the air from the mixture. 

Pour into prepared tin & bake for 15 minutes until risen and firm to touch. 

Set aside to cool. 

For the mint filling: 

• 1 large avocado
• 200g mascarpone (Quark, Fromage Frais or Coconut Cream will work here too) 
• 2 tsp mint extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp Irish honey

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth, creamy consistency....It's really important not to taste the filling at this stage (you'll definitely be tempted to eat it all with a spoon!)

Spread an even layer over the cooled chocolate cake. 

For the chocolate topping: 

• 100g dark chocolate (I used 85% cocoa solids)
• 1 tsp coconut oil (gives chocolate glossy appearance & prevents chocolate setting fully and cracking when sliced)

Melt the chocolate & oil together until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly before spreading on top of the mint filling. 

Allow to set before cutting into slices.