Lamingtons

Surely we have a lot to celebrate this week with CNY on Monday and Australia Day on Thursday!  The summer holiday is finished and the kids also go back to school this week so I'm back to my mode packing lunch, dropping off and picking up kids for school.  My son was watching a video in class about Australia.  When the teacher mentioned about lamingtons, he told him that it made him feeling hungry! (especially it was close to the end of school)  When he was little, I brought him some lamingtons from the supermarket.  He ate a few and told me that they tasted alcoholic and was NICE!  It was not out of date but definitely it was OFF!  Luckily he was not sick after that!  Since then, I only buy fresh lamingtons from the bakery.

It takes me a long time to find a good recipe for lamingtons although it is so popular here.  This recipe is taken from our local community cookbook with the recipe shared by the wife of our local councillor.  Many recipes for the icing uses cocoa powder but I prefer to use cooking chocolate to give a richer flavour.

Have a great day on the Australia Day!

Lamingtons


125g margarine or butter, soften
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup milk

For the icing:
2 tsp margarine
200g dark cooking chocolate
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup milk
desiccated coconut (for coating)

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, then add in half sifted flour, salt and half milk.  Stir well and add in vanilla and remaining flour and milk.
2. Spread into a lamingtion tin lined with baking paper and bake on 180c for 25-30 minutes.
3. For the icing: melt margarine, chocolate and milk in a small saucepan.  When the chocolate is melted, stir in icing sugar to make a thin icing. 
4. When the cake is cool, trim the edges and cut into rectangles.  Dip the cake into the icing and roll into the coconut.