Lemon Syrup Slice

To say the first attempt at this slice was unsuccessful would be an understatement. The source recipe suggested placing a runny sugar/lemon juice mix over the top, and in a some-flashes-of-inspiration-should-be-really-thought-out moment, I thought adding some matcha to the mix would add a subtle tea flavour and make it all pretty and whatnot.

The end result was... weird. The cold 'syrup' on a warm cake gave it a thin, gritty crust that was totally at odds with the soft, lemony slice (at least one thing worked), while the matcha wasn't a total misfire flavourwise, but its mottled green appearance did leave my lovely wife asking, "What the hell is that?"

The do-over worked a whole lot better, basically because you stick to what it says on the label. The slice itself is light with a mild, not-too-sweet flavour. You'll want to cool that down after it's out of the oven. What I was missing the first time around was the main attraction of the whole shebang - the syrup. Get it thick, get it lemony, and once it's hot and ready to go, punch a bunch of holes in your slice and let all the lemony goodness soak in. You're going to end up with this amazing concentration of citrus and tang that, once absorbed, will elevate the crumb to a whole extra level of delicousness.