Date Bubble Slice

I love anything date - date cake, date bread, date loaf, dates in my granola, stuffed dates and this very delicious and easy date slice.  And since Aldi have started stocking dates at a reasonable price they have featured even more in my dried fruit cooking.

This slice is fantastic, if only because it's no bake. Granted you do need to do a little cooking on the stove, about 6 minutes all up. But that's it. Then the slice just sets in the fridge.

The recipe calls for butter, and butter really is better. You can substitute margarine if you have to, the slice won't be quite as rich tasting.

Oh, and this isn't a slice for very young kids to make. The toffee mixture becomes very hot, a small splash will cause a nasty burn. In saying that, a sensible 10 year old who can follow directions should be able to whip it up without a problem.

Ingredients:
125g butter
125g dates, finely chopped
1 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups rice bubbles

Method:
Combine the butter, dates, vanilla extract and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Simmer, stirring constantly, for five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rice bubbles. Press into a baking paper lined slice tray. Set in the fridge. Cut into squares to serve.

You can  top this slice with a cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with toasted coconut if you want to.