MINI LEMON ALMOND LAMINGTONS

PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR (+ REFRIGERATION) MAKES 100

150g butter

¾ cup (90g) ground almonds

2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar

½ cup (40g) desiccated coconut 3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon almond extract

1/3 cup (50g) plain flour

2½ cups (190g) shredded coconut

LEMON SYRUP

1 cup (220g) caster sugar ½ cup (125ml) lemon juice ¼ cup (60ml) water

1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Grease a deep 20cm square cake pan; line base and sides with baking paper, extending the paper 5cm above the sides of the pan as handles.

2 Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat; remove from heat.

Stir in almonds, sugar and desiccated coconut; whisk in eggs and extracts, then sifted flour. Spread mixture into pan.

3 Bake cake for 35 minutes. Leave cake in pan for 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool. (Refrigerate cake for 1 hour to make it easier to cut.)

4 Meanwhile, toast shredded coconut in a large frying pan, stirring continuously over medium heat, until golden. Immediately turn coconut onto a flat tray to cool before using.

5 Make lemon syrup.

6 Cut cake into 2cm squares. Dip squares, one at a time, into lemon syrup until coated all over; drain off