WITH Australia Day upon us, we spent five-minutes with former Cornwall and Jamie Oliver-trained chef Sophie Budd to chat everything Australia Day.
The Mt Lawley-based chef, who now now calls Australia home and runs Taste Budds Cooking Studio, shares her lamington recipe below.
Five Minutes with Sophie Budd
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READ NOWHow will you be celebrating Australia Day? I’ll be having a party at home and it’s my housemate’s birthday too.
Does tomato sauce belong in the cupboard or in the fridge? In the fridge, it ferments in the cupboard. Tomato Ketchup – Heinz and sweet chilli sauce, and Kewpie mayo are my faves – I love sauces!
Do you think it is un-Australian to hate vegemite? I prefer Vegemite to Marmite – don’t tell the Poms!
What should every Australian eat on Australia Day? Sausages, I love sausages!
Sophie Budd’s Lamington recipe
Ingredients
Sponge
8 eggs
250 g sugar
1 x tsp vanilla extract
250 g plain flour, sifted twice
30 g unsalted butter
400 g shredded coconut
Ganache
600g dark chocolate, at least 70 per cent cocoa
300 ml local cream
Method
Turn your oven on to 190c
Put the eggs, vanilla and sugar in to a bowl over a Bain-mMarie (a pot that sits under the bowl, with just a few inches of water on, simmering, the water shouldn’t touch the bottom of the bowl)
Whisk for 10 minutes to start cooking the egg and thicken the mix
Transfer to an electric mixer and beat until it at least doubles in size, then spoon by spoon, slowly add the sifted flour, keeping the mixer on a medium speed
Dribble in the melted butter until well combined
Spray your square pan with oil and add baking paper
Pour mix in, bake for about 15-20 minutes, until cooked
Leave to rest
Tip on to a board, then cut the sponge into 5cm squares, make sure you trim off the crusty outsides and nibble them
Warm the chocolate and cream in a pan gently until thick and combined
Dip the sponge in the chocolate, best to use a few forks, then roll in coconut, lay on a tray to cool, maybe in the fridge if it’s really hot.
Enjoy and lick your fingers