lemon coconut squares

i know this slice is as old as the hills and most people know how to make it, but i had never made it until recently. i avoided making it because i knew how delicious it was, having eaten other people's creations; i had to show some restraint - if i made it, i'd eat it, simple as that. what was i thinking?

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
125 grams butter
250 grams biscuit crumbs
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 cup coconut

lemon icing
1 3/4 cups icing sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
30 grams butter

place condensed milk and butter in a small saucepan and stir over gentle heat until the butter melts. stir in the biscuit crumbs, rind and coconut and combine well. press into a laminton pan lined with baking paper. chill for an hour.
make the lemon icing by combining the icing sugar, lemon juice and butter until smooth. spread over the prepared base and allow to set. once set, cut into squares to serve.

luscious lemon coconut meringue slice

this recipe brings back a wonderful memory for me - back in 1997, i spent a day cooking with a very lovely lady called ayumi kawachi, with whom i have now sadly lost contact. ayumi - are you out there? i know you are - please drop me a line and say hello. that day in 1997, we made this and another slice. it was great fun, and ayumi, we can do it all again....we just have to try and find each other.

this base makes an excellent short pastry which can be used for any tart requiring a thin, crisp base. in order to achieve this, one must ensure that the dough is kneaded sufficiently to make it crisp.

90 grams butter
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup plain flour
1/3 cup cornflour

preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
cream the butter and sugar and add the plain flour and cornflour gradually. combine and turn the dough out of the bowl and knead for 5 minutes. press onto a laminton tin lined with baking paper and bake for 15 minutes of until golden.

in the meantime, prepare the filling:

400 gram tin condensed milk
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 cup lemon juice

combine the condensed milk, yolks, lemon rind and juice together. pour onto the base and bake for a further 10 minutes.

while the filling is in the oven, prepare the meringue topping:

2 egg whites
1/4 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup flaked coconut

whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form and gradually add in the sugar. fold in the desiccated coconut. spread over the lemon filling and sprinkle with the flaked coconut. return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until golden.