Re-Inventing the Lamington 2014 Day Nine: Strawberry Jam Lamingtons

The pandas loved being on Instagram. It made them feel complete.

Inspired by my Seville Orange Lamingtons, what was there to stop me from repeating the process using some of my other homemade preserves? Really. What?

Truth told, I think it's nice to have a recipe like this to get me to use up what I stash in the cupboard upstairs. I have a bad habit of keeping the jams and chutneys I make because they are 'precious'. It's counter productive. The point of preserving is to put something away so you can actually enjoy it later, not watch it gather dust.

These lamingtons actually remind me of the old fashioned baker's madeleines you used to see all the time when I was little and which I haven't seen for years and years now that I sit and think about it. The closest you get, at least in the UK, is that rotten coconut and jam topped cake that they do in Starbucks.

No offense, Star-Bees, but my lamingtons school your rubbish loaf cake. Now go and pay your corporation taxes, dammit.

Maybe those madeleines will make a comeback. Stranger things have happened. Look at the resurgence of Tottenham Cake! It's everywhere. I hate it.

Until that day, I give you my Strawberry Jam Lamingtons. Enjoy. And don't forget to Re-Invent the Lamington yourself. I have had loads of great entries so far, judging is going to be a nightmare!

Strawberry Jam Lamingtons

You will need:

1 x batch Coconut and Vanilla Bean Chiffon Cake

1 x jar (around 250g) strawberry jam (you can make your own)
100g dessicated coconut

1. To make slicing the cake into lamingtons easier, I wrap it in cling film and freeze overnight. Cut the frozen cake into 24 cubes, or as many as you like/can.
2. Make the jam glaze: mix the strawberry jam with a little hot water from a recently boiled kettle until smooth and glossy. Add the water a little at a time, because if you add too much, the glaze will thin out and become unusable. Set the coconut in a dish.
3. Dip each cube of cake into the jammy glaze and then roll in the coconut. Set aside on a wire rack to dry out. Plastic panda bears are an optional, but thrilling, extra.