Name: Golden Coconut Jam Squares
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup – 125 g butter, softened; 1/2 cup castor sugar; 3 eggs, separated; 1/2 tsp almond essence; 1/2 tsp vanilla essence; 2 cups flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/4 cup milk; 1/2 cup smooth jam, apricot or plum works best; 3 egg whites; 1 cup sugar; 1 cup desiccated coconut

Description

These Golden Coconut Jam Squares are one of those old kitchen favourites that disappear faster than you expect. Soft, buttery, a little sticky, and topped with a fluffy coconut layer that cracks just enough when you cut it.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Base

1/2 cup - 125 g butter, softened
1/2 cup castor sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp almond essence
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk

Filling

1/2 cup smooth jam, apricot or plum works best

Coconut Topping

3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180°C or 350°F.
Grease a flat biscuit tin well and line it with baking paper for easier lifting later.
Cream the 125 g butter and 1/2 cup castor sugar together until pale and fluffy. This takes a few minutes, so keep going.
Add the 3 egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition so the mixture doesn’t split.
Stir in the 1/2 tsp almond essence and 1/2 tsp vanilla essence.
Sift together 2 cups of flour and 2 tsp of baking powder.
Add this to the butter mixture alternately with the 1/4 cup milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
The dough will be soft and a bit sticky, not spreadable like cake batter, and that’s exactly right.
Press the dough evenly into the prepared tin using lightly floured fingers or the back of a spoon. Don’t overwork it, just get it level.
Spread a thin, even layer of 1/2 cup smooth jam over the base.
Keep it light, or it’ll sink into the dough while baking.
In a clean bowl, beat the 3 egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Gradually beat in the 1 cup sugar a little at a time until glossy and thick.
Gently fold in the 1 cup of desiccated coconut using a metal spoon so you don’t knock the air out.
Spread the coconut topping evenly over the jam, right to the edges.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is dry to the touch and lightly golden.
If the coconut browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last few minutes.
Remove from the oven and cut into squares while still hot.
Let them cool slightly in the tin before carefully lifting them out onto a cooling rack.
Once completely cold, store in a tin with greaseproof paper between the layers.

Notes

Created, prepared, tried, and tested by Hannah