No bake pisatchio ginger crunch

Why is it that you always want something that you can't have? I've been dreaming about cooking roasts and baking cakes but can't. For about six weeks now our kitchen has been just an empty room containing an ever-changing assortment of building equipment, and baking has been frustratingly impossible that hasn't been more than a wistful daydream as I cook dinner on a portable butane element, on top of the washing machine... in the laundry.

But I it's guess times like these that you make-do with what you have and with a craving for ginger crunch, I invented a no-bake variety.

I started with the standard no-bake slice combination of biscuits, condensed milk and butter, and tweaked it so it became a d'lish ginger crunch.

Armed with a bowl, mixing spoon and slice tin, I started developing my recipe. I really did crush the biscuits with a can of Oak sweet corn. All except for the essential kitchen items are in boxes and the rolling pin will be in a box somewhere in my 'big pantry' (aka the spare room). The can does the trick, the biscuits became crumbs in no time at all.

I mixed in a combination of ginger powder and pistachio nuts into the base for a bit of extra flavour and texture.

This recipe is truly ideal for those who don't want to do a lot of washing up or have very limited equipment. The only part that was 'cooked', was melting the butter, sugar and condensed milk together in the microwave.

The result has been a huge hit! I've tweaked the recipe over several iterations and even my first attempt was gobbled up. The chopped crystallised ginger and pistachios added an extra flavour punch and it looked pretty too.

No bake pistachio ginger crunch

Ingredients

For the base
250g plain biscuits (I used a mixture of malt, super wine and arrowroot biscuits)
75g butter
200g condensed milk
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2/3 cups roughly chopped pistachio nuts

For the icing
2 c icing sugar
50g melted butter
2 tsp ground ginger powder
2 Tbsp golden syrup
1 1/2 Tbsp condensed milk

Handful of finely chopped crystallised ginger and pistachio nuts

Directions

1. Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush the biscuits using a rolling pin (or can of Oak sweet corn!). Alternatively, you can use a food processor. Crush until most of the biscuits are a fine crumb
2. Melt the condensed milk, butter and sugar together. Put the biscuit crumbs in a large bowl and add the melted mixture, ginger powder and pistachio nuts
3. Mix until well combined and press firmly into a lined slice tin (approx 30cm x 20cm)
4. Make the icing. In a large bowl, mix the icing sugar and ginger powder together
5. Melt the butter and golden syrup together and mix into the icing sugar mixture. Add the condensed milk and beat so that the icing becomes slightly creamy
6. Spread the icing on the base and sprinkle the chopped crystallised ginger and pistachio nuts on top. Leave to set the icing and cut into slices.