Luscious coconut and cherries on a dark chocolate base, and so incredibly pink, this is one lavish treat. It's loosely modelled on Australia's oldest (circa 1924) and perenially popular Cherry Ripe bar, which I feel holds a special place in the hearts of many Australian chocolate fans, as it was the first taste - the gateway, the first steps - into the dark, mysterious, and delicious world of dark chocolate. It was just as good as regular chocolate, but so much better...
But if you've ever thought you improve on the original, one of the best things about making things your damn self is that you can tinker and tweak to your heart's content. If you want to add more of that dark chocolate goodness, use a little extra for a thicker base, or drizzle some across the top (or both!). If you really want to indulge your sweet tooth, sprinkle a little icing sugar over the surface. Just make sure your cherries are chopped finely so you get a good dispersal of flavour throughout the slice. The food colouring is just there for a little pop, but based on personal experience, it doesn't take much for your mixture to go from pink to PINK.
MAKES
20-24 squares
PREPS
25 minutes
plus setting
COOKS
30 minutes