A blast from the past.  Taste-wise, Coconut Castles remind me of one of my regular school dinner puddings.

Not so surprising since the component parts are the same – sponge, raspberry jam and desiccated coconut.  At school it was baked in a slab and served with custard.  Not despised but certainly nothing to compare to ‘Chocolate Toothpaste’ (for which I have the recipe) on account of the custard being lumpy and having a cold skin.  Nevertheless, I’m not adverse to serving my coconut castles – incandescently better – sitting in a pool of proper English custard …  A moat egad!?!

More often I sit them on a pressed glass cake-stand I inherited from my mum because that feels ‘right’.  Although this recipe comes to me via my mum (in imperial measurements), I can’t remember her cooking it.  It has the feel of something my Grandparents would have made and served alongside Dundee Cake at Sunday tea.

My ‘Imperial’ recipe is a neat 4oz butter, sugar and self raising flour with two eggs.  Converting it to metric means you either go ‘up’ to 125g or down to 100g.  I prefer down …

The reason I made them this week was that I tracked down some beautiful candied angelica ready for Christmas.  In no way is candied angelica an essential ingredient for this but, much like the pressed glass cake stand, I have an emotional need.  Angelica ‘leaves’ are traditional and there are standards …!

Coconut Castles begin with softened butter.  Add the eggs … slowly, beating well after each addition.

Fold in the sifted self-raising flour, baking powder and salt.

Divide the mixture between the greased dariole moulds.  A big piping bag makes the job easy.

Half to three quarters full to allow for the mixture to rise and place them on a baking tray.

Bake for 20 minutes or until risen, golden brown and firm to the touch of a finger at Gas Mark 4/180ºC/375ºF.  Leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Then trim the top so it will sit flat and turn them out.

Allow the cakes to cool completely.

4 tablespoons of red jam, pushed through a sieve and warmed.  Add a tablespoon of water if you feel it’s a little thick.  Pour the desiccated coconut onto a plate/flan tin.  Then spear the bottom of one of the cooled sponges with a fork.

First you brush on the warmed jam.

And then you roll it in the desiccated coconut, taking care to get a good coverage.

Keep going.

Then decorate with half a glacé cherry and ‘leaves’ of candied angelica.  Eat.

 

Coconut Castles (English Madeleines) – Makes 8

• 4oz/100g butter
• 4oz/100g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4oz/100g self raising flour
• pinch of salt
• 4 tablespoons red jam
• 2oz100g desiccated coconut
• Glacé cherries
• Candied Angelica

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/gas 4.

Grease the dariole moulds.

Beat the butter with the caster sugar until light and fluff.  Add the eggs – slowly – and beat well after each addition.

Gradually fold in the self-raising flour, salt and baking powder.

Divide the mixture between the dariole moulds, filling then no higher than ¾ full.

Place on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes at 180ºC/Gas Mark 4/350ºF or until risen, golden and firm to the touch of a finger.  Leave to cool for 5 minutes and then level the ‘base’ before turning out onto a wire rack.  Leave to cool.

Push the red jam through a sieve and warm through in a small pan, adding a tablespoon of water if necessary.  Spread the coconut out onto a shallow dish.

Using a fork, spear the base of the sponges and brush them with the jam and then roll in the desiccated coconut.

Cut the glacé cherries in half and shape the candied angelica into ‘leaves’.  Decorate each ‘castle’ with a half  and cherry and a pair of ‘leaves’ of candied angelica.

Eat.

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