Treat me: Raw raspberry lamingtons

You might think I married my husband for his wit, good looks and charm, but there's more to it than that. What sealed the deal is was that his mother makes the best lamingtons in the world. Once I realised he was the heir to a freezer full of chocolate-dipped, cream-filled spongy delights, there was no turning back. 

More than a decade down the track though, I've come to realise that there are other lamington-makers out there. In fact, there are hordes of them, all of them making exotic lamingtons like there's no tomorrow. They've been whipped into a coconut-dusted frenzy by an adorable English flight attendant by the name of Peter, who is no slouch himself in the lamington department.

Peter is such a champion of lamingtons that for the last four years he has devoted himself to reinventing them every February. Don't tell my MIL, but I think he could give her a good run for her money. In the meantime, he's thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of us. And so without any further ado, I bring you my raw raspberry lamingtons...

Raw raspberry lamingtons

These are not your ordinary lamingtons - there's no sponge, no eggs, no sugar and - gasp - no cream. These are lamingtons, 2014 style. They're raw, gluten and dairy-free, and contain no refined sugar. But there's plenty of coconut, chocolate AND raspberries - for those of you who can't decide whether a lamington should be brown or pink. I was inspired by this recipe, but took it in a completely different direction. The ultimate test was when I asked my brother-in-law to try one. "These," he said, "are dangerous. Is the recipe going on your blog?"

100g ground almonds

120g dessicated coconut

4 Tbsp coconut oil

3 Tbsp real maple syrup or honey

60g (about half a cup) frozen raspberries

Line a small plastic container (like a takeaway container) with plastic wrap and set aside.

Put all ingredients in a food processor and whiz until it clumps. Press this mixture into the prepared container and leave in the fridge for at least an hour, until firm. You can leave it for a day or so if you like, it won't come to any harm, though you may accidentally eat some of it.

When you are ready for stage two, remove the coconut mixture from the fridge and cut into small bars. Gently melt 120g dark chocolate with 1 tsp of coconut oil (I do this in a heatproof bowl in a warming oven, but you can use a microwave on low or a double boiler) and set aside to cool slightly.

Put the coconut in a small bowl and line a tray with baking paper.

Dip the bars into the chocolate, then roll them carefully in the coconut. When you have finished, put them in a lined, lidded container and put them in the fridge before someone comes by and gobbles the lot. Makes about 12-15, depending how much gets eaten along the way.

Have a great weekend, everyone x