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.