One of the pleasures I’ve when I am not commuting is the joy of making something in the kitchen. There’s nothing like creating a wonderful meal, or attempting some new formula and the result is a tangible, delicious dish that’s so dissimilar to software.

This weekend I came across some time to whip up a batch of lamingtons. These were destined for our Pot Luck Lunch time” tomorrow where many people are going to bring something indigenous” from their house country.

I had planned on building Pavlova, but my colleague from New Zealand said they’re apparently a kiwi-dish, and she had already planned to create it. Oh well.

The hard thing about making Lamingtons is that it’s a little labourious to make. I decided on acquiring the shortcut and buying a prepared sponge wedding cake, but imagine my surprise (and joint disappointment about even more work ahead) when I found that none from the supermarkets near me sold plain old sponge cake. Yes, you can get an ordinary madeira cake, or even a Jamaican” fruit cake, or any of the final ready birthday” cakes all protected in icing and cream. Nope towards the plain old sponge cake. Oh well.

I used the next formula for the sponge wedding cake after searching and hot cross bun hamper deciding I actually didn’t want a particularly eggy-tasty sponge cake.

Making it was pretty self-explanatory. Cream the butter and glucose, and slowly add the eggs one at a time. Blend in the vanilla and collapse in the first cup of flour before folding in the next cup of flour and milk. Pour into a sponge cake (I used a long tray) and bake within a pre-heated 180oC range until prepared through. If you are using a square tin, it’s said to be 30 minutes, but I used a thinner tray so it got less than 20 in a lover forced oven.

Another part to Lamingtons are preparing the icing as well as the coconut. I used this formula , but have to admit it turned out a little bit too rich.

This is pretty easy. Basically mix it all together on a bain-marie (i.e. bowl over boiling water) until it all melts. I found this icing much too thick, therefore i finished up watering it down with far more milk.

Right now came the terribly messy component.

First, I slice the sponge in half and then spread some strawberry jam between each item. My initial few efforts to coating them ended up being rather devastating with cake crumbs, delicious chocolate and coconut almost everywhere. A little bit of looking on the web and people recommended putting the cake in the fridge. Apparently departing the cake immediately could have also helped make it easier to cope with. Five or 10 minutes into the fridge and the items were much easier to handle.

Using two forks, I dipped the sponge sandwiches into the chocolate sauce. I held them up allowing the extreme drip off, before dunking them into a bowl of desiccated coconut. Using two spoons to press the coconut into the icing, I came across that was a bit cleaner than using my hands (as recommended by many recipes). I let them dry out a bit on a rack before putting them into an airtight box for storage.

Messy, pleasant but probably not something I’d try all the time.

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I adored these then, when I grabbed a stash and ran up to my bedroom and ate them without any help to the special, mellow voice of Helen Reddy. And I still appreciate them now.

I love everything that arrives of my mom’s recipe binder.

You will need a shallot. An extremely finely diced onion will continue to work, too, if you don’t have one.

But shallots are really, really yummy.

Simply the whites, ma’am. Just the whites.

So, almost every fat in the book.

Except cream! I overlooked heavy cream.

So really, you should be thanking me.

Then mince the shallot extremely finely. The initial recipe called for finely diced onion, and you could certainly use that instead.

But I’m on the shallot kick lately.

Now grate a buncha that mouth watering cheddar.

Grate it clean, will you? The pregrated stuff is normally coated in rubbish that’ll mess with the whole regularity from the sauce.

I love freshly grated cheese.

Now grab a loaf of French bread, and this is important: you must use great, crusty French bread-not this foil-wrapped produced in higher quantities items that I’m using within this demonstration. These things is wonderful for most anything…but not this thing.

You’ll just have to trust me on this.

Now, place the cookie sheet into the freezer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes-just to get the outside frozen and hard. After that toss the puffs into a couple of huge Zipoc bags and seal them firmly.

Serve them warm right from the range, or at area temperature on a platter of other finger foods. They’re also yummy with a big Caesar salad.

1/2 stick Butter

1-1/2 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

Sodium And Freshly Surface Black Pepper, To Taste

2 whole Egg Whites, Beaten

Heat butter inside a skillet more than medium warmth. Add garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add Dijon and mix to combine. Reduce warmth to low.

Add cream parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Add grated cheddar and mix until melted. Switch off heat. Add salt and pepper to flavor. Fold in egg whites.

Dunk bread cubes in cheese, coating thoroughly. Place on a nonstick baking mat or sheet of waxed paper and freeze for 20 a few minutes, hot cross bun uncovered. Remove iced chunks from holder and place into a Ziploc bag. Store within the freezer.

When prepared to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place freezing cheese puffs on a baking sheet with a nonstick cooking mat or parchment paper, and bake for 10 minutes or until fantastic brown. Serve instantly or at room temperature.

1/2 stay Butter

1-1/2 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

Sodium And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

2 whole Egg Whites, Beaten

Heat butter in a skillet over medium warmth. Add garlic clove and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add Dijon and mix to combine. Reduce high temperature to low.

Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add grated cheddar and stir until melted. Switch off heat. Add salt and pepper to flavor. Collapse in egg whites.

Dunk bread cubes in parmesan cheese, coating thoroughly. Place on a nonstick baking mat or sheet of waxed paper and freeze for 20 moments, uncovered. Remove iced chunks from tray and place into a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer.

When prepared to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place iced cheese puffs on a baking sheet having a nonstick cooking mat or parchment paper, and bake for ten minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

I’ve never seen those before, they appearance fabulous! I would have to make some for New Year’s. 🙂

I’ve never noticed those before, they appearance fabulous! I might just have to make some for New Year’s. 🙂

I was sort of hoping for something with Black-Eyed Peas. Is that wrong?

I was kind of hoping for something with Black-Eyed Peas. Is the fact that wrong?

Angie from The Arthur Clan

Beyond yummy…We think I’m going to be definitely taking these to our New Year’s Eve party!

Angie through the Arthur Clan

Beyond yummy…I think I’ll be definitely taking these to our New Year’s Eve party!

I’m producing these for New Year’s Eve! A Happy 2010 to everyone!

I’m producing these for New Year’s Eve! A Happy 2010 to everyone!

These look too good, I’ll need to try to make them!

These look too great, I’ll have to try to make them!

Could it be wrong I want to get this to right now? It is 7:00 am. They appear so good. Thanks a lot for sharing this.

Is it wrong I want to make this right now? It is 7:00 am. They look so good. Thanks for writing this.

Oh my! Those look delicious and like something I could do! I want them NOW!

Oh my! Those appear delicious and like something I could do! I’d like them NOW!

Thanks again for another great finger meals.

Thanks a lot again for another great finger meals.