Lolly Cake!

As I was cleaning out my pantry yesterday (all part of my new year's list of jobs to do about the house... isn't it funny how we are spurred on to do these kind of things at the start of a new year!) I discovered a rogue packet of Eskimo lollies that my Mum had sent me from New Zealand.  I imagine some of you will be wondering what on earth I am talking about... basically Eskimo lollies (for my readers in the UK or US, 'lollies' as we Kiwis call them are sweets or candies) are akin to a fruity marshmallow albeit slightly chewier & they are in the shape of little Eskimo people.  

Here's a couple of pics for you...

    

Lolly cake is a refrigerated cake traditionally made with chopped Eskimo lollies, crushed Malt biscuits, butter & sweetened condensed milk, which is then rolled in desiccated coconut & cut into slices.  It's a classic New Zealand recipe which, since its invention no doubt, has been a staple treat at any child's birthday party.  Its a funny old thing lolly cake.  Most Kiwis basically grew up eating it at birthday parties but once you reach your teenage years, it mysteriously drops off the birthday party menu - probably because once you reach your teens you decide that you're far too old for things like lolly cake (its right up there with fairy bread as a big no-no for teenage birthday parties).  Then, once you become an adult you'll only eat lolly cake once in a blue moon because you're afraid of the copious amount of sugar it contains! 

Given that lolly cake has been etched into the very fabric of childhood memories in New Zealand, whenever the rare occasion arises that I do eat it I can't help but think back to my childhood birthday parties when I would happily stuff my face with lolly cake, chocolate, crisps, lollies, birthday cake, more crisps, more chocolate... ahh good times.

For anyone reading this outside of New Zealand, I'm sorry to say that the only downside of lolly cake is that unless you can find the equivalent of its two key ingredients where you live, being Malt biscuits & Eskimo lollies, sadly you won't be able to make this :(  Instead of Eskimo lollies you can use any kind of coloured or fruity marshmallow or something like a fruit puff.  You do need to use Malt biscuits rather than just any old type of milk biscuit because the malt-flavour is a big part of why lolly cake tastes so good!  Here is a pic of a packet of Malt biscuits from New Zealand so you can see what kind of biscuits to look out for. Good luck with your search...

Ingredients

125 grams unsalted butter

1/2 can (197.5 grams to be precise!) of sweetened condensed milk

250 gram packet of malt biscuits, crumbed (the easiest way to crumb the biscuits is to tip them into a sealed plastic bag & then bash them with a rolling pin!)

180 grams Eskimo lollies or fruity/coloured marshmallows or puffs, cut into pieces

1/2 cup of desiccated coconut

Couldn't be simpler instructions on how to make...

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan & then allow to cool slightly.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.
2. Rip off a long rectangular piece of waxed baking paper & sprinkle this with the coconut.
3. Turn the lolly cake mixture out onto the paper & roll into a sausage shape ensuring that it is well covered with coconut.  Roll the lolly cake in the paper & twist the ends firmly.  I finished with a layer of tinfoil to prevent coconut from falling out the sides - it also gave a tighter roll.
4. Refrigerate for 4 hours.  Cut into slices & store an airtight container in the fridge.

TIP:  If you find yourself with a 200 gram packet of malt biscuits like I did today, then here are the amounts you'll need to compensate for this...

115 grams unsalted butter

158 grams sweetened condensed milk

144 grams Eskimo lollies or equivalent

1/2 cup coconut (I just stuck with this amount)