Ross says: “These biscuits are as Australian as Shane Warne but much prettier. And they are almost as old as the Federation of Australia. There are a couple of references to recipes that appear in the 1930s and 40s, as well as a handful of contemporary ones, but it’s never really been a biscuit that is made at home. This recipe is for a home-cook-friendly version but the biscuits are no less dressed to impress.”

Makes: 24 biscuits

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

60g desiccated (unsweetened shredded) coconut
250ml raspberry jam

For the biscuits:

60g unsalted butter
80g caster sugar
1 egg
250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder

For the marshmallow topping:

100g white marshmallows
100g pink marshmallows
50g unsalted butter
60g icing sugar, sifted

Make the biscuits first. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Put the butter and caster sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Alternatively, use hand-held electric beaters and beat on medium speed for 4–5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times, until creamy.

Add the egg and beat for 1 minute.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then reduce the speed to low and add the flour and baking powder. Add 2 tablespoons boiling water and beat again for about 1 minute, or until the mixture starts to clump together.

Tip onto a lightly floured work counter and briefly knead to form a smoothish ball. Don’t over-knead the dough. Cut the dough into 2 equal portions –this will make it easier to work with.

Working with 1 portion at a time, roll out to form a large rectangle, 3mm thick. Use a ruler to measure and cut out a 24 x 12cm rectangle from the centre of the dough. Reserve any excess dough. Wrap in clingfilm and freeze to use another time.

Cut the rectangle lengthwise in half, then cut each half into 6 x 4cm wide pieces. This will yield 12 small rectangles. Place on the lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack and repeat with the other portion of dough to make 24 biscuits. Leave to cool.

To make the marshmallow topping, combine the marshmallows and butter in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Stir through the icing sugar until smooth.

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle. Alternatively, use a clean plastic bag with the end snipped off. Leave the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes to become firm enough to work with, then pipe 1cm wide strips either side of each biscuit, leaving space in the centre to put the jam.

Put the coconut on a plate. Gently press each biscuit into the coconut so it sticks to the marshmallow, then pipe or spread the jam in the centre of each biscuit. These biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days.

3 retro Australian desserts, from chocolate crackles to vanilla slices