By Kirsten Tibballs

Lamington

270g unsalted butter, softened

270g golden caster sugar

5 whole eggs

½ lemon, zested

1 ½ tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

270g self-raising flour

splash of full cream milk

pinch of sea salt

icing sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. Slowly add in the eggs and continue to whisk until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition of eggs.
4. Add the lemon zest, vanilla, flour, milk and a pinch of salt. Whisk until just combined.
5. Pour the mixture into a baking tin (21.5cm x 5cm).
6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes. To check if it is ready, insert a skewer into the middle of the sponge, and it should come out clean.
7. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the lamingtons from their tins and cool on a wire rack.
8. Place in the freezer.

Raspberry Jam

140g frozen raspberries

115g caster sugar

30g liquid glucose

1. Place the raspberries, sugar and glucose in a saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring.
2. Continue to heat until it reaches a temperature of 103˚C or until you achieve a soft jam consistency.
3. Remove the jam from the saucepan and transfer to a bowl.
4. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the jam.

Chocolate Soaking Syrup

240g caster sugar

240ml water

90g Callebaut Cocoa Powder 22-24%

40g raspberry jam (recipe above)

1. Boil the sugar, water, cocoa powder and jam in a saucepan.
2. Emulsify with a stick blender or combine by hand with a whisk.
3. Once combined, set aside to cool.

Coconut Coating

180g desiccated coconut

QS pink colour

1. Combine the desiccated coconut and pink colour in a bowl.
2. Add more colouring until you achieve the desired colour of pink.

Swiss Meringue

75g or 3 egg whites

pinch of cream of tartar

150g caster sugar

QS water, for boiling

1. Place the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar in a mixing bowl. If you are using a stand mixer for whipping, use the mixing bowl from the stand mixer.
2. For the bain-marie, bring some water to a boil in a saucepan then turn off the heat. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan of simmering water and whisk by hand until the mixture becomes warm to touch.
3. Remove from the heat and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
4. Whip until you achieve a meringue.

Chocolate Garnish

150g Callebaut Ruby RB1 chocolate

150g Callebaut W2 white chocolate

15g pink oil soluble colour

1. Temper the ruby chocolate.
2. Pour the chocolate onto one end of a guitar sheet and place another guitar sheet on top.
3. Use a rolling pin to push the chocolate to the other end of the guitar sheet.
4. Using round cutters, press on top of the plastic sheet to create discs of varying sizes.
5. Allow to contract for up to 10 minutes before removing the sheet and discs.
6. Temper the white chocolate and add the pink colouring. Mix until you achieve the desired colour of pink.
7. Repeat steps 2-5 to achieve pink chocolate discs.

Assembly

1. Cut the frozen sponge into squares measuring 6cm x 2.5cm.
2. Insert a hole into the centre of the sponge and fill it with the raspberry jam.
3. Dip the sponge into the chocolate soaking syrup and completely submerge it.
4. Place the soaked sponge directly onto the pink coconut. Completely coat each lamington square in the coconut. Allow to sit for 1 minute before placing on a serving plate.
5. Decorate the lamingtons with the Swiss meringue and chocolate garnish.