I had no idea until today that this dessert originated in far-off Australia and that there are other variations, like strawberry jam, which is used to bind these exquisitely soft buttery cubes, in Mauritius it's offered in red.
The smell of squares rolled in coconut is the most intriguing of all the interesting things I've just read about this cake.
Because of the shaggy texture of the coconut, they are simply known as 膶upavci here and in the region.
(膷upavci = shaggy)
If you remember last summer's temporary kitchen, it has now become permanent and the future (that scale is mine!), where all kinds of yummy yummy things will be cooked. This is the only part of the house that we haven't yet adjusted to since the recent move, which is an aggravating circumstance for me because I require more space than usual and good lighting.
I'm too lazy right now to carry each dish to the "studio," so the following recipes will be in shortened "step by step" form.
The sponge cake is the star of the show, but when I think about it, the entire flavor combination is so well balanced that this cake can be eaten all year round.
2 eggs, 50 g margarine or butter, 300 grams of sugar, 300 grams of flour,
2 deciliters of milk, 1 tsp baking powder - Break the eggs, separate the whites from the yolks, and whip until foamy, gradually adding sugar, then add the yolks and beat until the sugar dissolves. Alternately stir in the flour, milk, and cold melted butter with a wire whisk until the mixture is silky smooth.
(It is preferable to gently beat these type of biscuits with a wire whisk so that the egg sham remains as puffy as possible and the sponge remains moist and airy after baking.)
Pour into a baking tray; I prefer the cubes to be tall, but they would also work well as thinner tiles. Bake at 220 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Make the sauce for the cubes from 2-3 deciliters of milk, 100 g of dark chocolate, and 200 g of margarine/butter by gently melting all of the ingredients until combined. Pour the shredded coconut into the plate for rolling.
Let it cool before dipping cubes; the sauce should be neither too hot nor too cold. Cut the sponges into cubes, then dip them in the chocolate sauce with a fork, just enough to cover all sides, and roll each cube in lots of coconut.
Allow the lammos to cool; the chocolate will harden into a perfect hard buttery layer, with a soft vanilla biscuit inside.
Perfect for coffee or festive meals, with an interesting history and significant importance on some continents.
(sneaky fingers, and I was just shooting them, pinky swear)
Whichever variant you choose, I'm sure you'll return to this sweet coconut fantasy at least once more. Oh, and while organizing, I found a bunch of recipes and cookbooks, as well as some lovely vintage tableware that I can't wait to frame.
The sofa, under the lounge window for reading and hedonism is ready!
The window pane and the cake recipe almost date from the same period, 19...something.
Bon appetite!