More holiday baking

Yesterday we had visitors, so I asked Mollie what she would like to bake out of the new Donna Hay Kids magazine.  She choose lamingtons.

I've never made lamingtons.  I always thought the icing/rolling in coconut would be a pain, but it wasn't.   Each of of the kids (Will, Moo and guests) had a go, and then I did the rest before it all got out of control!   I have to say that I was really impressed with our efforts.  They looked like the real deal and were delicious.

Since I think it's rude to show you pictures of food and not share the recipe, here it is.   This magazine also has the chocolate crackle recipe.

Lamingtons from Donna Hay Kids Magazine, Annual 7, 2010

Classic Lamingtons

250g butter, softened

1 1/2 cups (330g) caster (superfine) sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups (225g) plain (all purpose) flour, sifted

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted

1 cup (250ml) milk

3 cups (240g) dessicated coconut

chocolate icing

3 cups (480g) icing (confectioner's) sugar

3/4 cup (75g) cocoa

1 cup (250ml) boiling water

75g butter, melted

Preheat oven to 160C (325F).  Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy.  Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.  Add the flour, baking powder and milk, and mix until well combined.  Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 20cm x 30cm tin lined with non-stick baking paper.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.  Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.  

While the cake is baking, make the chocolate icing.  Place the icing sugar, cocoa, water and butter in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Cut the sponge into 6cm squres and gently roll in the icing to coat.*  Roll squares in the coconut to coat and allow to set on a wire rack.  Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days.  Makes 15.

*Use a fork to gently roll the sponge squares in the chocolate icing and the coconut.

My comments:

This recipe makes a lot of icing.  I threw away over half a bowl.  I know that you need enough to easily roll the cake pieces to coat, but it really seemed like a waste to me.  Next time I'll try making half a recipe of the icing.  

Also I added coconut to the bowl as needed rather than dumping in 240g and not needing it all.  I'm really glad that I did that.  I dont think that I went through 3 cups of desiccated coconut.

I used two forks not one to manuveur the pieces.  It worked really well.   I had a pair in the icing and a pair in the coconut.

Will wants to make the Polka Dot cookies from the magazine.  I saw a recipe for caramel popcorn in one of my Bill Granger books which looked appealing to me.