A Paradise Slice is one of those recipes that surprises you. It combines straightforward ingredients and creates something truly moreish.
Ever since we tried these from a random service station, Paradise Slice has since been declared a favourite in our house. Phil and the boys have to be fought off when these were baked to allow time to take the photos you see below!
The combination of flavours and textures works perfectly, and we can’t recommend them enough!
What is a Paradise Slice?
A simple tray bake, each Paradise Slice is just bursting with personality. A sweet almond sponge with delicious glace cherries sits on a buttery pastry. A Paradise Slice is not unlike our Almond Slice or a Bakewell Tart, but we think the cherries lift it above the others.
As we mentioned, it has now become a firm family favourite.
Pin for later!
Where does a Paradise Slice come from?
We spent some time looking into the origin of this succulent slice. The humble Paradise Slice seems to come from Scotland, as several other places suggest, but we struggled to find proof. It may have gained its Scottish ancestry simply because it’s been popular here for a very long time!
We found a similar recipe in the Scottish Women’s Rural Institute Cookbook, and if it’s good enough for those fine ladies, then it’s good enough for us!
While we’d heard of Paradise Slice as we often research recipes for this site, we had never seen it anywhere to try. So when we came across it in a service station on our way back to Edinburgh from Shetland a few years ago, we knew we had to give it a go!
We filled the car up and let the boys run around on a small patch of grass to burn off some energy, and Phil went to pay. In the services, there was a cabinet full of Scottish classics, Empire Biscuits, Bridies and, sitting towards the back, Paradise Slice.
We do love discovering a new sweet treat!
Unsurprisingly, if you know Phil at all, he came back with several (lots) of things to eat, and we joined the boys on the side of the road to eat them. We’ve been meaning to make a Paradise Slice ever since.
This recipe really makes a slice of traybake paradise, a perfect wee treat to enjoy with a cup of tea or even with custard.
Things you’ll need to make a Paradise Slice
- 23cm/9inch square tin
- Rolling pin
- Blind baking beads or rice
Ingredients for a Paradise Slice
Pastry
- 200g plain flour (1 and 2/3 cup)
- 100g cold butter, cubed (1/2 cup)
- 30g caster sugar (2 and 1/2 tbsp)
- 4-5 tbsp cold water
Middle Layer
- 100g raspberry jam (5 tbsp)
Top layer
- 200g butter (1 cup)
- 200g caster sugar (1 cup)
- 100g ground almonds (1 cup)
- 100g plain flour (1/2 cup and 2 tbsp)
- 2 large eggs
- 120g currants (just under 1 cup)
- 100g glace cherries (1/2 cup)
- Extra caster sugar for dusting the top after baking
How to make a Paradise Slice – Step-by-step method
Pastry
Mix the flour and the cold butter together for the pastry. Use a mixer, pastry blender, or two butter knives to cut the butter into the flour, and then rub with fingertips until it resembles a breadcrumb-like texture.
Add the caster sugar and stir through.
Add the tablespoons of water and stir it with a butterknife to bring it together. How much water you need depends on the flour, so start with 2-3 tablespoons and then add more as needed.
Tip out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together with your hands, handling as little as possible. Cover with cling film and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. It can last up to 2 days if you want to make it in advance.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C or 400F.
Depending on the depth of your tin, you can just grease it with butter or line it with baking paper to make it easier to lift the slice out after baking.
Take the pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface until it is about 0.5cm (1/4 of an inch) thick. You want the shape to roughly fit your tin. Carefully lift the pastry and press into the bottom of the tin, cutting any excess so it’s only covering the bottom and not stretching up the slides.
Prick the pastry with a fork, place baking paper over it and blind baking beans or uncooked rice if you don’t have any.
Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Leave the oven on to still be hot for the later stages.
Set aside and allow to cool.
Toppings
Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar together.
Add the eggs and mix them together thoroughly.
Mix in the fruit and almond flour and put it to one side, this will be the top layer of your Paradise Slice.
Take your pastry and spread the jam evenly over the top of the pastry.
Next, spoon the top layer mixture over the jam and smooth down using the back of a large spoon.
Once smooth, place it in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes
Remove from the oven and evenly sprinkle over a few tablespoons of caster sugar.
Allow to cool, slice, and enjoy!
Printable Paradise Slice Recipe Card
Paradise Slice Recipe
A Paradise Slice is one of those recipes that surprises you. It combines straightforward ingredients and creates something truly moreish. A mix of flavours that work perfectly together sat gently on a pastry base.
This is easily one of our families favourite recipes now and we think you'll love it too.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
Pastry
- 200g plain flour (1 and 2/3 cup)
- 100g cold butter, cubed (1/2 cup)
- 30g caster sugar (2 and 1/2 tbsp)
- 4-5 tbsp cold water
Middle Layer
- 100g raspberry jam (5 tbsp)
Top Layer
- 200g butter (1 cup)
- 200g caster sugar (1 cup)
- 100g ground almonds (1 cup)
- 100g plain flour (1/2 cup and 2 tbsp)
- 2 large eggs
- 120g currants (just under 1 cup)
- 100g glace cherries (1/2 cup)
- Extra caster sugar for dusting the top after baking
Instructions
Pastry
- Mix the flour and the cold butter together for the pastry.
- Use a mixer, pastry blender, or two butter knives to cut the butter into the flour, and then rub with fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the caster sugar and ground almonds and stir through. Add the tablespoons of water and stir it with a butterknife to bring it together.
- How much water you need depends on the flour, so start with 2-3 tablespoons and then add more as needed.
- Tip out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together with your hands, handling as little as possible. Cover with cling film and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. It can last up to 2 days if you want to make it in advance.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C or 400F.
- Depending on the depth of your tin, you can just grease it with butter or line it with baking paper to make it easier to lift the slice out after baking.
- Take the pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface until it is about 0.5cm (1/4 of an inch) thick. You want the shape to roughly fit your tin. Carefully lift the pastry and press into the bottom of the tin, cutting any excess so it’s only covering the bottom and not stretching up the slides.
- Prick the pastry with a fork, place baking paper over it and blind baking beans or uncooked rice if you don’t have any.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
- Set aside and allow to cool.
Top Layers
- Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar together.
- Add the eggs and mix in thoroughly.
- Add the fruit and almond flour and mix in.
- Spread jam over the top of the pastry.
- Spoon the top layer mixture over the jam and smooth down with a large spoon.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle over a few tablespoons of caster sugar.
- Allow to cool, slice, and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 464Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 3gSugar: 32gProtein: 6g
Try Some Other Tasty Traybake Recipes
- Chocolate Tiffin
- Mars Bar Slice
- Mint Aero Traybake
- Biscoff Tiffin
- Sticky Toffee Pudding Traybake
- Old School Cake
- Biscoff Rocky Road
- Almond Slice
- Kinder Bueno Brownies
