Lemon Aspen, Macadamia & Desert Lime Cookie bar.

Makes 21 bars

A delicious way to inspire you to start creating with Australian native ingredients. This recipe calls on a simple Nordic Tosca cake bar recipe in which I have switched a few ingredients. I have made it vegan, making it slightly more 'slice' like in texture and its simply delicious.

Ingredients:

Base

185g all-purpose flour

120g almond meal

105g castor sugar

1.5tsp baking powder

3tsp Lemon Aspen powder

1/2 tsp salt

225g butter, softened or vegan margarine

Caramel topping

120g vegan margarine

105g castor sugar

60g flaked almonds

100g macadamia nuts, chopped

1/3 cup freeze dried desert lime (optional)

12g all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC and oil and line the base of a 11"(27.5cm) x 7"(17.5cm) baking pan and set aside.

Place in a bowl the flour, sugar, almond meal, lemon aspen, baking powder, salt and combine well. Add the softened butter or margarine and with your hands, rub into the dry ingredient mix with your fingertips then bring together to form a dough.

Press the dough out evenly into the baking pan and cook for 10 minutes.

Next you need to make the caramel mix. Add the butter or margarine, sugar, nuts, flour and salt to a saucepan and place over a medium heat and stir continuously until combined. Bring to a boil and stir in the desert lime* and then remove from the heat.

Pour the caramel onto the pre-baked cookie slice and spread out evenly. Bake for 15 minutes then allow to cool down in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut into squares.

*TIP. In the recipe I have placed adding the desert lime to the caramel after its boiled as I found the desert lime catches very easily if not stirred continuously. Personally I like the texture and flavour of some pieces burning a little so I add them into the mix a the beginning of making the caramel. Experiment and go with what you like.