Meringue Coconut and Custard Slice

Gather all ingredients together. grease and well line a slice tray, with over hang. Preheat oven to 160 degrees fan forced to bake the base.

BASE DIRECTIONS - Place flour into a large bowl, stir in sugar and coconut, mix until well combined. Add melted butter. Stir to combine well. Press over base of prepared slice tray.

Bake for about 20 minutes (each oven is different) or until lightly golden and firm to touch. Remove and cool completely in tray.

FILLING DIRECTIONS - into a large saucepan, blend together with a whisk: Milk, sugar and cornflour. Bring to the boil. Stirring constantly. Then reduce heat to simmer and simmer for 2 minutes (still stirring). Remove from heat.

Take about 3/4 cup of hot mixture and quickly blend into egg yolks. Returning the egg mixture back into the hot mixture. Bring back to the boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 5 minutes stirring all the while.

Remove from heat. Add cream cheese, stir until melted.

Stir in lemon juice, zest, vanilla, almond essence and coconut.

Cool slightly, then pour mixture onto cooled base, set aside while you make the meringue. At this stage increase the oven to 180 degrees fan to brown the meringue, or if you have a blow torch, use that instead.

MERINGUE DIRECTIONS - in a clean, dry, medium bowl, add egg whites and beat with an electric beater until frothy (I'm using a clear bowl in my pic) add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form, gradually add the sugar, a bit at a time until sugar is dissolved and stiff, glossy peaks form.

Spread Meringue over filling in a decorative pattern. Bake for 5-10 minutes to achieve the browning you desire.

Remove from oven and cool completely. Before chilling in the fridge for about 4 hours. Once chilled down. Slice into whatever size you desire, and ENJOY!

This delicious slice is not overly sweet, but delightful nonetheless and is best kept refrigerated.