Mom loved when I made Lamingtons, and brought them over to her house for her and her neighbor to eat.. she would share with her neighbor, but mostly she would keep them for herself. She said they got better with age - you know like she did... ;) Traditionally they are made with chocolate, but I usually had lemons on hand, so I always made lemon.
Never heard of Lamington's? A little history.....
The lamington is named after Charles Wallace Baillie or Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, who served as Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901. Stories vary as to how it actually originated.
One of the stories surrounding the origin of the lamington is that Lamington's cook developed the cake as a means to use up leftover sponge cake.
According to another account, the dessert resembled the homburg hats favoured by Lord Lamington.
Another account again tells of a banquet in Cloncurry during which the governor accidentally dropped a block of sponge cake into a dish of gravy, and then threw it over his shoulder, causing it to land in a bowl of desiccated coconut. A diner thought of replacing the gravy with chocolate and thus created the lamington known today.
Another account states that lamingtons were first made at Harlaxton House in Toowoomba, Queensland in the summer of 1896 for Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland and his guests at afternoon tea. Lord Lamington requested that the cook prepare snowballs, round cakes that are served with whipped cream. When the cook found that the kitchen lacked the correct cake tins and there was no cream, she prepared a large cake cut it into cubes, iced them with chocolate, rolled them in desiccated coconut and served them instead. This unusual treat proved to be a big hit with the guests. The guest asked Lady Lamington what the cakes were called, and when they were told they had no name they were named 'Lord Lamington Cakes'.
Lemon Lamington's
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 1/3 cup of powdered sugar, sifted
roughly 1 tablespoon of warm water
Ready made store bought Angel food cake,
or homemade if you have the time, but the beauty of this recipe is to cut the cake into cubes, and roll into coconut, and you are done. Cut into 2 inch cubes and throw into the freezer for about 30 minutes they will be easier to work with if they aren't too spongy.
desiccated coconut, or ***bagged shredded coconut
Lamington instructions:
In a small bowl mix fresh lemon juice, powdered sugar and water to form an icing. (add more water if necessary -you want to have it thin enough to work with. Take chilled cake cubes and roll cake cubes into lemon icing, and then into desiccated coconut. Lay on wire rack so icing can set and absorb into cake. Stays fresh for several days in a covered container.
***How to Make Desiccated Coconut
Desiccated coconut is different from the more common 'sweetened' coconut sold in plastic bags or cans in grocery stores. Desiccated unsweetened coconut has a sweet coconut flavor and dry (not sticky) texture. You can find it in health food store or specialty food store, but if time doesn't permit this extra trip, just use sweetened coconut
Desiccated coconut usually contains about 3% of moisture. Desiccated coconut is produced from the white part of fresh, mature coconut kernel. The white part is disintegrated or shredded into desired sizes such as flakes, granules, chips or shreds. Then it is dried in hot air at 50-55 degree centigrade. It is available in toasted, sweetened or sweetened toasted forms. It also comes in two variations such as low fat (maximum 50% fat) and high fat (minimum 60% fat). Desiccated coconut is available in a number of stores and grocery shops in the market. However, you can make it at home on your own. Follow these instructions to make desiccated coconut.
You will require:
•Bag of shredded coconut
•Baking sheet
•Bowl
•Spoon
•Oven
Preparation:
If you have a bag of shredded coconut, place the shredded coconut onto a baking sheet. You should spread a thin layer of loosely stacked coconut on the sheet. Avoid clumping together, as it will prevent coconut from drying. Heat the oven to 250°F. Place the baking sheet with coconut inside the oven. Bake over low heat for about 5-10 minutes. The duration required for dehydration depends on moisture content of the coconut and the size of grated coconut shreds. During dehydration process, you need to pay attention and check the status of the coconut frequently. Once the coconut is dried completely, it is brittle to touch instead of creamy. Then remove it from the oven. Transfer the coconut to a bowl.
