Here’s a fun fact: I dislike cucumbers but love pickles. In sorta the same vein I dislike fresh cherries but love Cherry Ripes. I’m not a massive chocolate fan [it was a different story when I was a teen] but when the choc urge strikes it just HAS to be a Cherry Ripe. The makers occasionally taunt me with a ‘limited edition’ extra dark chocolate version of Cherry Ripe but once they have been discontinued I go into mourning. Every time I’m in a $2 shop I greedily search out any left-over stock but it often amounts to disappointment and heart-break.
When I found a recipe for this easy slice that contained many of the ingredients of a Cherry Ripe I was hooked. You can find it in Family Circle’s Biscuits and Slices book, which is an oldie but a goody. This is ideal for a morning tea as it can thrown together easily and you’re likely to have most [if not all] of the ingredients in your pantry. Switch the dark chocolate for milk or even white if you like – feel free to be a rebel and mix it up. As is my wont I reduced the amount of sugar and changed a few others things too.
GATHER:
base
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/3 cup sugar
125g butter, melted
50g dark chocolate
topping
1 cup glace cherries, finely snipped
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup chopped almonds [the original used pecans]
2 lightly beaten eggs
LET’S GET TO IT:
Preheat oven to 180C and grease and line a 30cmx25cmx2cm shallow tin.
Place flour, coconut and sugar in a bowl and mix, then add butter and stir to combine.
Place batter in tin evenly.
Make topping by mixing cherries, brown sugar, coconut and almonds in a bowl. Add eggs and combine then spread evenly over batter in tin.
Bake for 8-ish minutes or until top is pale gold.
Allow to cool in tin completely.
Meanwhile melt chocolate, then place in zip lock bag, cut off corner and drizzle over the top.
Cut into squares after chocolate has hardened.
the hungry mum 
I’ve never heard of Cherry Ripes – but these look and sound amazing! And easy enough for us to tackle here!
They are the best chocolate bars EVER! Slightly addicted 🙂
Nothing like a blast from the past. Quite reminiscent of a good ole cherry ripe. 🙂
Mmmm, Retro 🙂
This looks wonderful. I love macaroons!
Thanks Sophie – me too 🙂
oh my goodness i HEART glace cherries!!! these look fab!
I have never heard of Cherry Ripes but you had me at cherry and chocolate anyway.
You NEED to visit Australia, if for no other reason than to try a Cherry Ripe. They are THAT good 🙂
You need to come to Australia and find a newsagents at the airport and buy a Cherry Ripe, post haste. It will change your life 🙂
Mmm these look delicious, love the coconut in there!
Cheers! I adore coconut.
Dear Hungry Mum, I was only thinking yesterday how much I would love a florentine … Went to pantry and, putting aside all items past use-by with the weevil-infested grain-based goods, I decided that the best I could do was have a go with the leftover, reasonably okay, store cupboard staples. Congratulations to me! I managed to make Dark Choc Fruit and Nut Florentines without using any of the listed ingredients ….
Dear KB, I read this comment & literally LOL’d [LLOL?] at the hilarity of the comment, and then saw the author 🙂 Glad you fought through the temptation to give up & I bet your florentines were amazing x
Yum!! These sound awesome!! I definitely want to try!
Hope by now you’ve had a chance to try this recipe 🙂
Two of my favorite things! Delish! 🙂
Cheers! I hope you make it – you’ll be glad you did 🙂
Oh I forgot about the chocolate! 3 of my favorite things. 😀
It is a winning combo!
I do not know Cherry Ripes, but liking the looks of this!
They look simply delicious!!
So what is a cherry ripe? is it a maraschino cherry?
A Cherry Ripe is a chocolate bar, filled with maraschino-esque [but not quite] cherries & coconut. Judging by the comments on this post they are an antipodean treat :)They are utterly amazing. I should be paid to do PR for them 🙂
Mmm I am in love with Cherry Ripes, so this square slice even more 😀
Bookmarked!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
A girl after my own heart 🙂 Hope all’s well in Uni land, CCU x
Thank you for the recepi! I’ll be making them very soon! Have a nice day =)
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you do get to make them.
im usually not fan of cherries and chocolate but i love coconut so i must give this one a try!
I love the combo of cherry and coconut. Add chocolate, oh yes please!
Oh my goodness. Yum.
There’s a whole lotta yum happening here 🙂
Cherry Ripes are AWESOME…. Love this & have pinned it!
Aren’t they the BEST?!
Reblogged this on Chef Ceaser.
Reblogged this on the hungry mum.
Randomly I bought the ingredients at the weekend to make something very similar to this! These look delicious – must get baking!
Maybe it s a sign that you need this in your life 🙂 Happy baking!
It my first time hearing about Cherry Ripes! I’m in love with this flavor combination of cherries, coconut, AND chocolate?!?! Sounds divine 🙂
I don’t know what a Cherry Ripe is but I’m sure I would love this! Substituting almonds for the pecans was a wonderful idea. Cherry and almond flavors go so well together. All this with chocolate and coconut, too? Yum!