Muffin Lamingtons

Some kitchen accidents result in surprisingly delicious creations, as it was the case yesterday. I wanted to use the Orange Cake with a Heart of Chocolate recipe to make muffins with chocolate cream, only that I added too much milk to the cream, and so I got the idea of cutting the muffins in half and use them to make lamingtons instead. Lamingtons are Australia's signature dessert: heavenly pieces of vanilla sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in desiccated coconut. I'm actually quite proud of this little "accident", as I haven't found a similar dessert on the internet:)

This recipe makes 9 muffins (details about the size and pictures on my Lemon Orange Muffins post). It is extremely easy to make and the preparation takes very little time. I used soy milk and added the orange zest to the wet ingredients.

Very lightly grease the muffin cups with oil (I use a small tissue dipped in oil), insert the paper cups and fill them 3/4. Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 15-20 minutes (5-7 minutes after they stop bubbling they should be done; you can check by inserting a toothpick in the centre). Remove the tray onto a wire rack and leave the muffins inside until they're completely cool. Take them out, peel off the paper and cut them in half.

Prepare the cream
In a double boiler (a glass bowl over a small pot of simmering water, water not touching the bottom of the bowl) melt 150 g 60% chocolate broken into small pieces, 1/2 cup icing sugar and 1/2 cup coconut milk. I also added 1 Tb vegan butter, as I was aiming for more thickness, but you can leave it out. If you prefer to use agave nectar or maple syrup instead of sugar, then use 1/4-1/3 cup agave/maple syrup and 1/4 cup coconut milk. The dipping cream should be slightly warm.

In another bowl add 150-200 g desiccated coconut. Dip the muffin pieces in cream, let them absorb it for a few seconds, then either use your hand or a tablespoon to take them out and let the excess cream drip back inside the bowl, then toss them around in coconut, pressing gently so it sticks. Don't leave the muffins in the cream for too long, as they become too moist and can easily break.

Now let's see if you can wait until you finish making all of them before you have a bite;) These little gems are finger-lickin' good. I kid you not, they're absolutely delicious! The muffins themselves are very moist and delicate, and the chocolate/coconut layer wonderfully complements the orange-flavoured sponge inside.

This is the perfect recipe to make with kids, as they love to get messy:)

Enjoy and spread the magic:)

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