ROTD: Lamingtons

Ingredients

• 125 g butter
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract (or 1 capsule)
• 3 eggs
  ½ cup fresh milk
• 1¾ cups self-raising flour
• 2 cups coconut flakes for garnishing
• 250 g jam

For the Coating:

• 3½ cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp soft butter
• ½ cup boiling water

Instructions

1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Preheat the convection oven to 160°C.
2. Butter a 20 x 30 cm baking pan and line the base with parchment paper.
3. Sift the flour.
4. In a bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, without stopping the mixing.
5. Alternately incorporate the flour and milk in batches, starting and ending with flour.
6. Pour the mixture into the pan and smooth the surface with a spoon.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a knife blade comes out clean.
8. Let the cake stand for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Level the cake by trimming the edges with a knife, then cut it horizontally into two layers and then vertically, forming 18 pairs of squares (like sandwiches).
10. Spread jam on half of the pieces and close them with the other halves to make sandwiches.
11. Chill the sweets in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

For the Coating:

1. Mix the powdered sugar with the cocoa and sift them together into a bowl.
2. Add the butter and boiling water, and stir with a spoon until you get a homogeneous mixture. Let it cool slightly.
3. Place the coconut in a bowl.
4. Using a fork, pierce each lamington and dip it in the chocolate coating.
5. Let it drain and then roll it in the coconut.
6. Place the lamingtons on a wire rack and let them set for two hours to allow the coating to stabilize.

Enjoy!

Source: Argiro Barbarigou