Re-Inventing the Lamington 2011 Day Seven: Snickerdoodle Lamingtons

You know, I feel like this cup of tea is missing something...

Yup. That's better.

(In which Mr. P realises that it has all gone too far...)

Mr. Other P's parents and aunt came to visit last weekend. I was away working. The idea to make Lamington Snickerdoodles came about because I wanted to leave a full cookie jar so that they'd be able to have something home made with a cup of tea and see that I do look after their son and nephew, and not just shout at him all the time.

How did it come to this? I feel so... considerate.

We used to make snickerdoodles when we were children. My mum didn't have a big enough mixing bowl, so we used a big, green stock pot, and she didn't have US cup measure either (American things are much easier to get hold of these days), so we'd improvise and use a coffee cup. I know that that makes us sound like gypsies, but I don't care. I loved how they made the house smell of butter and cinnamon, and that the recipe made about four thousand cookies, so we'd have them for weeks. Along with cinnamon toast, because we always made far too much of the cinnamon sugar coating. On purpose. My mother is not the kind of lady to feed her kids sugared toast unless there's a major surplus of cinnamon sugar that needs using up. Well, she'd probably let my nephews and nieces have some whenever, but I think that's what's called a grandmother's prerogative.

(And in fact, I can't wait until my niece is old enough to start helping in the kitchen. I'm going to recruit her for snickerdoodle production!)

These Lamington Snickerdoodles are quite special. I have taken the somewhat rash decision to add cocoa to the cinnamon sugar (don't look so aghast), and topped the baked cookies with melted chocolate and coconut, à la lamington. You love it when I speak French, don't you?

I did consider rolling the cookie dough balls in coconut instead of sugar and spices, but didn't see how I would be able to incorporate the cinnamon sugar if I did so. Cinnamon sugar is the whole point of a snickerdoodle, so my consideration remained just that.


I think this recipe pushes the boundaries of what can be considered a lamington, and really, these aren't. But when presented with this argument, my response is double pronged:

1. It's not actually that easy to come up with ten good, achievable ideas for Re-Invented Lamingtons in a few, short days off.
2. Delicious Delicious Delicious is my blog, and I can do whatever the hell I want.
   

Lamington Snickerdoodles are sweet, spicy and chocolatey, and the cakey texture of the cookies goes really well with the dessicated coconut topping. Basically, I would make these again, because they are easy to rustle up and the rewards are high. We're talking full cookie jar to please visitors in under an hour.

(Oh, and if you're wondering, apparently they loved them. As did I.)



A note: we always used the Betty Crocker recipe for these. But I didn't have any cream of tartar (read: it had expired by three years), so Martha is helping us out today.

Lamington Snickerdoodles
adapted from Martha Stewart Cookies

You will need:

2 3/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups caster sugar + 2 tbsp
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp cocoa powder
100g dessicated coconut
200g chocolate of your choice

1. Mix together the cocoa, cinnamon and 2 tbsp sugar and set aside in a bowl.
2. Beat together the eggs, butter and sugar until creamy and smooth. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix to form a soft dough.
3. Pinch off walnut sized portions of the dough and form into balls. Roll in the cinnamon cocoa sugar and place on a lined baking sheet, well spaced apart.
4. Bake at 200°C for 8 - 10 minutes or until risen and puffy. Cookies will be golden brown.
5. Cool on a wire rack.
6. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate. Spread about 1 tsp chocolate on each cookie and sprinkle with coconut. Allow chocolate to set. Store airtight.

Makes approximately 4o cookies.

Re-Invent the Lamington Yourself!