Stephanie's Test Kitchen

The Lamington

Lamingtons have always been one of my favourite Aussie day treats. I have memories of sitting on the beach on Jan 26th (Australia Day) with 2, even 3, of those spongy goodies in hand. The jam filled kind are of course the best. I haven’t eaten any in a few years, since going gluten free, until last summer when I discovered Pana Chocolate’s raw vegan lamington slice at their shop. I fell in love. They tasted exactly like the lamingtons I remembered.

Since then I have been saving up any healthy gluten free lamington recipes I’ve come across and liked the sound of. I’m testing out 3 different versions of the good old lamington that I’ve picked out from all the recipes.

A simple lamington ice cream slice from IQS Sarah Wilson’s book ‘Simplicious’. These are the perfect combination of two Aussie treats, the lamington and ice cream. Australia Day falls in late January, so it’s summer time over here. Who does want an ice cream to cool down with, ice cream that tastes like lamingtons. Don’t fret though, these ice creams are dairy free and refined sugar free.

The second recipe I’m testing is a ‘raw lamington cheesecake’ by Whole Food Nutritionista. This ones for the vegans out there. I love the idea of a lamington cheese cake. I have seen in the past lamington sponge cakes that are filled with jam and cream, and ladden with sugar of course. This raw cheesecake is a better version of those sponge cakes, being refined sugar free, and still containing all the yummy layers. It also looks good too.

Lastly, I am testing the lamington recipe from the move nourish believe blog that I bookmarked a couple of summers ago. It’s a clean version of the traditional lamingtons that didn’t have jam in the middle but that won’t stop it tasting good. It uses beans for the sponge, not only makeing it gluten free but also a source of plant protein. Can’t complain about that.

The raw cheesecake and the ice cream squares take longer to prepare as they both need to spend time in the freezer at various points in putting them together so if. You are going to make them for a party or gather I’d suggest making them a day or two before hand so they have plenty of time to set.

With the lamington ice creams you will want to cut them into small bite sized squares otherwise you won’t get many out of the recipes or just double the ingredients. To get more and cut them into lamington sized rectangles. I had an issue when coating the ice screams in chocolate. The frozen pieces would started to harden the melted chocolate, leaving it all lumpy. Also, the hot chocolate started to soften the ice screams and wouldn’t stick to the surface, the chocolate would just slide right off. I had to work quickly to coat them in the chocolate to get the ice creams back in the freezer to set.

Whilst making the MNB traditional lamingtons, I couldn’t help myself but eat at least 2 of them as they tasted so good. Who would have thought cannellini beans could produce such a spongy, tasty cake. They did absorb a lot of the chocolate coating as I was dipping them, so just beware of this.

Since taste testing all three I’ve decided the raw lamington cheesecake is a clearly my Favourite. It came together so well and tastes just right with all they layers. And I may have eaten some for breakfast….

Lamington Ice Creams

Ingredients:

• 400ml can coconut cream
• 1/3 cup cashew butter
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp rice malt syrup
• 200g 85% dark chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
• 1/3 cup berry chia jam

Recipe:

1. Line a 22cm square brownie tine itch baking paper. Pour the coconut cream to the prepared tin and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours until frozen.
2. Remove the coconut creams lab and break into shards using a mashed or the end of a rolling pin. Pulse the shards in a food processor until they resemble an ice cream texture. Add the cashew butter, vanilla extract, and rice malt syrup and process until smooth and fluffy like ice cream. Pour the mixture back into the tin and smooth over the top. Freeze for 1-2 hours until the mixture is firm to touch but not rock solid.
3. Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, making sure the base doesn’t touch the water. Put the coconut into another bowl.
4. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and slice into small pieces. Cut each piece in half to spread the jam through the middle. Then Sandwich the two halves back together.
5. Using forks or tooth picks, dip the squares into the melted chocolate, coating all sides, then dip into the coconut, placing them on a lined tray as you go. Store in the freezer in a sealed container for upto 3 months.

Jam Recipe:

• 1 cup hulled strawberries or any berry of choice
• 1-2 tbsp rice malt syrup
• 2 tbsp chia seeds

1. Throw all the ingredients into a saucepan with 2 tbsp. Of water and use a stick blender to combine. Heat the pan over a medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat and whisk constantly until thickened. Store I. An airtight container in the fridge for a week.

*Recipe Tested from Sarah Wilson’s Book Simplicious*

Raw Lamington Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

• 7 fresh pitted dates
• 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup macadamia nuts (can swap for pecans or walnuts)
• 4 heaped tbsp raw cacao powder
• pinch of sea salt
• 2-3 tbsp coconut oil

Chia Jam:

• I cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder (optional)

Filling:

• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for 6-8 hours & rinsed
• 1 cup coconut cream (or flesh of 2 coconuts blended with coconut water to equal 1 cup)
• 2-3 tbsp coconut nectar (or preferred sweetener)
• 2 tsp vanilla powder (or scrape 2 vanilla pods)

Chocolate Ganache:

• 4 heaped tbsp raw cacao powder
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 small ripe avocado
• pinch of sea salt
• 6 fresh dates
• 1 tbsp coconut nectar (optional)
• unsweetened shredded coconut for decoration

Recipe:

1.  if using frozen raspberries be sure they have defrosted
2. blend all jam ingredients and place in the fridge where they will thicken slightly
3. in a food processor mix all the crust ingredients until they have a sticky, crumb-like consistency
4. press mixture into a flan or springform tin (18cm/7 inch) and chill in freezer while preparing the filling
5. blend all the filling ingredients until smooth and creamy
6. spoon 1/2 the filling into crust and chill until firm
7. gently spoon on jam layer and chill in freezer for at least an hour
8. spoon the other half of the filling gently on top of the jam layer and chill until firm
9. blend all ganache ingredients until smooth, scraping down the sides as you go
10. layer ganache on top and decorate with coconut

enjoy!

may be kept in the freezer for up to 6 weeks, though thaw slightly before serving

*Recipe Tested from the Whole Food Nutritionista Blog*

Traditional Lamingtons

Vanilla Sponge Cake:

• 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
• 5 eggs
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla paste
• 3 tbsp. maple syrup

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Blend beans in food processor until smooth.
3. Add eggs and continue to blend for another 3 mins on low.
4. Add baking powder, vanilla paste and maple syrup and blend until well combined.
5. Pour mix into lined square cake tin and cook in oven for approx 20 mins or until skewer comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool for 20 mins on wire rack.

Chocolate coating:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3 tbsp. cacao powder
• 1-2 tbsp. maple syrup
• Shredded or desiccated coconut, to cover.

Recipe:

1. Stir together all of the chocolate coating ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
2. Place a generous amount of shredded coconut on a large plate.
3. Slice the cake into 12 rectangles.
4. Dip each slice of cake into the chocolate coating mixture and turn until thoroughly coated.
5. Immediately place into the shredded coconut and coat again.
6. Place the coated piece of cake on a wire rack over a tray to catch any drips.
7. Repeat for each slice of cake.
8. Place in the fridge to set for at least ten minutes before serving.

*Recipe Tested from the Move Nourish Believe Blog*