Australian and British Food Questions

[fenchurch]

I'm thinking of trying my hand at Lamingtons this week... however, the recipes I have all make HUGE amounts (estimated 24). Does anyone know if Lamingtons will freeze well for later? And how long do they generally keep after they're made? Anyone have a favorite recipe for them? I may look at doing a half batch, which shouldn't be too hard -- it just means making a smaller pan of sponge cake and not preparing as much of the icing.

The other question is about Mushy Peas. I've liked the stuff when I've had it, and I picked up a can recently to try on my own... but have no clue how to prepare it. Do you just heat it up? Anyone have any good recipes for Mushy Peas?

Comments

[queenofattolia.livejournal.com]

I just emailed you a rip-off of Nigella Lawson's mushy peas recipe from alllrecipes.com. V. easy and much fresher-sounding than the old recipes using "marrowfat" dried peas.

When I made Lamingtons for my sister's legions of Australian friends, I used my own recipe: bars of simple yellow sponge cake coated with dark chocolate ganache (8 oz. chopped chocolate melted with 1 cup hot heavy cream, stirred until smooth) and when almost set, rolled in finely grated unsweetened coconut (available in health food stores -- sometimes it's called "macaroon coconut"). I suppose you could use regular American style sweetened flaked coconut as long as you chop it finely in a food processor beforehand. Actually, I think I may have even used store-bought spongecake for the bars sometimes.

Most Australian Lamington recipes call for a thinnish icing made from powdered sugar, cocoa, butter and milk or water -- I think it's yucky, but it is more authentic (although I did have ganache-covered Lamingtons when I was in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, so obviously some bakers there were trying to improve them). Anyway, they're pretty easy and almost impossible to screw up, having only three real components. So, get in there and mess around... :)

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Yep! I just got it! Thank you!

finely grated unsweetened coconut (available in health food stores -- sometimes it's called "macaroon coconut").

Oooo... thanks for the tip! I've been picking up dessicated coconut from the various online Australian food suppliers (so far, just for making chocolate crackles), but that would likely be a tad cheaper and certainly closer to home.

Most Australian Lamington recipes call for a thinnish icing made from powdered sugar, cocoa, butter and milk or water -- I think it's yucky, but it is more authentic

Ah... see, this is the way I like them. They're not overwhelmingly sweet... just right, in fact. I've got some great cocoa to use for it, too. Hmm... I might have to see about whipping up the sponge cake tonight, so I can finish the Lamingtons tomorrow.

Thanks again!

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

If you have a Trader Joe's or a Sprouts around, they both carry the unsweetened shred coconut, too. :)

These things sound nummy. I may have to try!