Lolly Cake

A Kiwi-as melt-and-mix classic.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (450 grams) Griffins Malt Biscuits (approx 2 packets minus 5 cookies)
• 1 packet (200 grams) Eskimos or Fruit Puffs
• 1 can (395 grams or 1 and 1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 and 1/2 sticks (165 grams) butter
• Approx 1 cup desiccated coconut for coating

– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients – 

Equipment:

• Food processor
• Cling-film
• Alternatively: 9 by 13 inch pan lined with baking paper

Directions:

Lolly cake is traditionally shaped into logs and sliced. If you would rather press it into a slice and cut into squares, line a 9 by 13 inch shallow pan with baking paper before you start.

Blitz the biscuits (cookies) in a food processor until you have fine crumbs.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Chop the Eskimos or Fruit Puffs into large pieces – I usually cut Puffs in half or Eskimos into 4.

Add these to the crumbs.

Gently heat the condensed milk and butter together until the butter is melted and stir to combine. You can do this in a pan on the stove or in the microwave. If you microwave it takes about 2 minutes – do 30 second bursts and stir in between until its ready.

Pour over the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined and evenly distributed. Start with a wooden spoon but you will need to use your hands at the end. Smoosh smoosh.

If you are going for classic, divide the mix in half to form two 4 inch wide logs. Before you shape each one, cut a sheet of cling-film about the size of a cookie sheet and form the log on top of the film. It will catch all the crumbs and you can use it to help form the log.

Coat the log is desiccated coconut. All over. Be generous. Repeat with the second log.

Wrap the logs tightly in the cling-film and pop in the fridge for at least an hour until they are firm. If you are making squares, generously sprinkle the lined pan with coconut and press the mixture into an even layer. Coat the top with more coconut before refrigerating.

When everything has firmed up, remove the cling-film and cut the logs into 3/4 inch slices. You don’t need to be that precise. Just cut generous slices.

Cook’s Notes:

• If you don’t live in NZ, you can order what you need from here
• Lolly Cake has a distinctive taste, you can replace the cookie crumbs with another type but it won’t taste the same – my best suggestions is something plain, and adding a tablespoon of malted milk powder.
• Fruit Puffs/Eskimos are marshmallow-y in flavour but much firmer.

 – Lolly Cake will keep well for 2-3 days at room temperature in an airtight container, and up to a week in the fridge – 

Recipe courtesy of (dame) Margaret Bishop.

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