Many years ago when I was baking for a get together at my home whihc included a friend who had spent many years in Australia I made some of the classic Ozzie teatime treat, i.e. Lamingtons, using a recipe in a baking book I had. Her verdict was that they were nice, but 'nothing like a real Lamington' although I forget in quite what way(s) they were lacking. They were certainly square, vanilla sponge and iced with a chocolate icing and then rolled in desiccated coconut, so they should have passed muster. But they obviously fell short and I never made them again.
But this long-ago baking failure meant I was interested when my Google headline thing threw up a Guardian taste test for the new M and S Lamingtons, sampled by some ex-pat Australians and so I clicked on it to read. Generally they were not impressed , mainly because, instead of the standard vanilla they were made of chocolate sponge! Heresy.
We were at Hobbycraft yesterday ( I know!) and the shopping centre where it is includes the non-pharmacy hosting Boots, the Tesco-with-a-pharmacy and an M & S Food, so we took the opportunity to buy a box of each flavour to try.
They have now been in the house for a little over 27 hours. There are three of us here currently as son no 2 has come to stay for a few days adn we all have a sweet tooth. There are currently one half of the standard chocolate and coconut lamingtons and one and a half of the non-canon caramelised biscuit ones sitting uneaten in the kitchen. I think that tells its own tale.
Leaving aside that the texture of a bought cake is never as nice as home baked, these are still awful. Dry, over decorated, and the caramel one has a distinct chemical tang.
Obviously I'm not going to order people not to buy them. But if you do and you don't like them, don't say you weren't warned.
On that basis, I won't bother! Thank you for saving me the effort (and the calories...)
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