Mouthwatering morsels for dainty high tea parties. For traditional lamingtons, make a thin chocolate icing for tossing the cake cubes in and dust with desiccated coconut. Another variation from my mum's kitchen: coat lamingtons in raspberry or lime jelly that has cooled, but not quite set.

Ingredients

• 150 grams butter
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 70 grams packet ground almonds
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup raspberry jam
• 1-2 tbslp orange liqueur or orange juice
• 2 cups desiccated coconut, toasted (see Cook\'s Tip)

Method

1. Beat together butter, sugar and vanilla essence with a wooden spoon until creamy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold in alternatively with ground almonds and milk. Transfer the mixture to a well-greased and lined 24cm square tin.
3. Bake at 180ºC for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Stand the cake in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool down.
4. Trim the edges and cut into 36, 4 cm squares. Mix the jam and liqueur together and warm gently. Sieve to remove any pips. Brush the cake squares with warm jam mixture, then toss in toasted coconut. Keep in an airtight container.

Cooks Tips

To toast desiccated coconut, spread it in a thin layer on a baking tray and bake at 180ºC for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until the coconut turns a golden brown. This can also be achieved in a frying pan, over a moderate heat. Stir regularly to prevent the coconut from burning.