Macaroon Bars

• 1 large potato (100g after boiling)

 • 400-500g icing sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

 • 300g dark chocolate

 • 100g desiccated coconut

Boil the potato until soft. Drain, measure out 100g, mash and leave until cold.

Beware, if you use more potato you will be off to the shops for more icing sugar as you’ll never get it to thicken.  The recipe will make about 15 bars. 

Put the cold mashed potato, vanilla essence and 100g of icing sugar in a bowl. Mix well – the potato might seem very dry to start with but it will change into a very thick, sticky paste. Keep adding the icing sugar, 100g at a time, mixing well after each addition, until you have a stiff white fondant.

Line a tray with greaseproof paper, put the fondant in the tray, and press flat to about 5/8 – 3/4 inch. Cover with cling film and put in the freezer for an hour.

In the meantime, toast the coconut in the oven.  Spread it thinly on a large baking sheet and cook in the oven at 150°C for around 5 minutes until the coconut is just golden. Watch it carefully – it can burn very easily. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Remove the fondant from the freezer. Cut into bars. 

Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in 20 second blasts.  Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, dip each piece of the fondant into the chocolate, then roll in the coconut. Transfer to a sheet of greasproof paper and allow to set.