Welcome to Gaia! ::

Hi, I am not a member of this guild...I hate cooking! blaugh But I wish to share some Aussie recipes with you. The reason being that I am sending UniKorn Tiger some Aussie treats this week and I can't send a lamington (it would go stale) or a pavlova (it would get squashed). I'm not much of a cook, so I really need some help here.

I have never made a pavlova. I think I tried once, but it was a flop. I usually buy them ready made at the supermarket and put my own topping on...super thick cream and strawberries, banana or raspberries. I have seen those egg shaped containers in the supermarket which you are supposed to be able to make a pav with, I guess without all the egg whites? I will search one out this week. Has anyone used one? Do they work as well as good ol' egg whites and sugar? If anyone has a tried and true recipe for a pavlova, could you post it up please. I would like Uni to be able to make one herself since I can't send her one.

As for the lamingtons, let me see if I can explain how to make them. Feel free, fellow Aussies (are there any in here?) to correct me, as I have not made them for a few years.

There is the traditional lamington, which is chocolate, then there is the jelly lamington, made with strawberry or raspberry jelly crystals. I guess those in the U.S. would call this jello? Hmm.

1.Buy (or make if you are super keen) a slab of sponge cake. About 6 centimetres thick/high or 2 and a half inches. Some people recommend freezing it to make it handle better in the next steps.

2.Cut sponge into squares about 6cm by 6cm or 2 and a half inches.

3.Mix some cocoa and icing sugar (or strawberry/raspberry jelly crystals) with boiling water. The stronger the better I say.

4.Dip the sponge squares into the water mix (still hot), so that each side gets covered, but only the outside layer, not all the way through the sponge cake. This is the tricky part. If not frozen, the sponge can fall apart and cause much stress. sweatdrop There must be a trick with this. I have tried sitting the sponge square on a potato masher, using it to lower the sponge in, but it is still messy.

5.Dip each side of the sponge into coconut next, which should stick to the outside of the sponge now.

6.Put in fridge for outside to set. If you make them in the morning, they should be ok by evening.

Please excuse my feable explanations! And please Aussie cooks, add any tips!

biggrin

I'd probably make a huge mess of it. My grandmother gave me a recipe for Buttermilk Candy once, it's supposed to be a fudge, but all I ever get is syrup. sweatdrop

On the other hand, the syrup is really good over ice cream. rofl