How to make pink or chocolate lamingtons

Pink and chocolate lamingtons.

Main ingredients: Coconut, eggs

In my family there are those who cannot go past a chocolate-dipped lamington but there are others, such as myself, who have a soft spot for the jelly-dipped pink ones. 

It’s best to cook the sponge the day prior to assembling the lamingtons.

Ingredients

5 eggs, at room temperature

60 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

150 g plain flour

¾ cup castor sugar

Chocolate lamington dipping

Dutch cocoa

icing sugar

butter, melted

dessicated coconut

Pink lamington dipping

a packet of strawberry jelly crystals, or raspberry

Method

Select a 20 cm x 28 cm lamington tin and brush with some of the melted butter. Dust with plain flour and tap to dislodge excess. Preheat oven to 180ºC.

Beat eggs and sugar in an electric mixer until very thick and mousse-like – this will take abut 10 minutes. Sift flour over egg mixture and fold in thoroughly but lightly using a large metal spoon. Trickle cooled melted butter down sides of bowl and fold in thoroughly. Pour into tin and bake for 15–18 minutes until top of cake feels springy to the touch (but do not open oven door before 15 minutes has elapsed). Allow cake to cool for a few minutes in tin, then turn out onto a clean tea towel and leave until completely cold.

Cut day-old sponge into 5 cm cubes and refrigerate.

For chocolate lamingtons, mix 1 part cocoa with 8 parts icing sugar, 1 part boiling water and 1 part melted butter to make icing, and prepare a tray of desiccated coconut. Impale a square of sponge on a fork and dip in icing, then in coconut. Allow to dry on a wire rack before storing in airtight tins. Some cooks dip the cake squares in melted jam before the chocolate icing.

For pink lamingtons, make up a packet of strawberry or raspberry jelly crystals, using the quantity of boiling and cold water as suggested on the packet. (85g crystals dissolved in 1 cup boiling water, stir and then add three-quarters cup cold water.) Swirl the liquid in a bowl over a larger bowl of iced water and as soon as the jelly shows signs of thickening, dip the lamington squares into the jelly and then in coconut. Allow to set. 

Will make enough for 12-15 lamingtons, depending on size.

http://www.stephaniealexander.com.au/what-to-cook/recipes/lamingtons/

Lamington: Hot Chocolate Tea - the classic chocolate covered slice - that you can sip!

The lamington flavour can be served as a tea with the full-bodied aroma of its Australian cousin.

Description: Sweet chocolaty flavours play with hints of tropical coconut on a backdrop of sharp and full-bodied black tea. 

It’s the classic chocolate covered slice - that you can sip!

Brew: 1 tsp per 250mls, 2-3 min at 100°c

Serve: Hot

Ingredients: Black tea, cocoa beans, coconut flakes, chocolate drops, coconut pieces, flavouring

Enjoy: Perfect on its own!

Consider: White White Cocoa, Chocolate, Cocoa Loco

http://www.t2tea.com/library/t2-experience/hot-chocolate/lamington-2/

Healthy Lamingtons for Australia Day

Add caption

Make healthy lamingtons the easy way.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been mixing and baking in my kitchen in an effort to create the perfect lamington just in time for Australia Day. You will absolutely love my recipe – so simple, gluten free and made from fresh whipped organic eggs, coconut flour, vanilla and raspberry that make them purely delicious.

 I’ve coated my lamingtons with a thin layer of dark chocolate ganache that I’ve made using a quality dark courveture 70 – 85 % mixed with a little coconut water or alternatively coconut milk for a creamier ganache. 

The secret to coating your lamingtons is to lightly spread the chocolate gananche thinly and delicately over the raspberry cake – then lightly dip in your coconut. Be gentle – make them with love and you’ll have the most delicious lamingtons you’ve ever tasted.

What’s good about them:

I’ve used macadamia nut oil to make the cake which works really well with baking - giving it a lovely buttery flavour. The oil is also an anti-inflammatory fat, that is kind to your arteries and can support good health and wellbeing. If you want this cake to be nut free make sure to use a good cold pressed coconut oil, butter or olive oil instead. I’ve used coconut flour mainly to make it gluten free and nut free so it’s kind to sensitive digestive systems – Coconut flour also doesn’t give you that high blood sugar / insulin spike that you can often get with refined white flours. 

Raspberries are high in antioxidants which can help to neutralise free radicals, they also marry perfectly with the dark chocolate making them taste amazing. Dark chocolate contains magnesium, iron and antioxidants and also contains compounds that act as stimulants believed to boost serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain – responsible for feelings of wellbeing and feeling great !

Makes 25 purely delicious lamingtons

Lamington Cake:

6 organic / free range eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 tablespoons raw honey or sweetener of your choice (organic maple syrup, few drops stevia etc)

1/4 cup (60 ml / 2 fl oz) macadamia nut oil or your choice of (cold pressed coconut oil,

butter or olive oil)

1/2 cup ( 70 g / 2 1/2 oz) coconut flour (see notes)

2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

1 cup (150 g / 5 1/4 oz) fresh or frozen raspberries

1 cup (75 g / 2 1/2 oz) shredded or desiccated coconut for rolling

Chocolate ganache:

100 g (3 1/2 oz) good quality dark eating chocolate 70 % cocoa – finally chopped

60 ml (1/4 cup / 2 fl oz) coconut milk

Preheat your oven to 160 C / 320 F.
Whip the eggs, vanilla and honey for 10 minutes until light and creamy.

Pour in the macadamia nut oil with the eggs still whipping and mix well.

Add the coconut flour and baking powder and mix until combined.

Pour lamington cake mix into a square 22 cm baking tin lined completely with baking paper.

Sprinkle the raspberries evenly over the top.

Bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Cool for 30 minutes before lifting out from the tin to completely cool.

Divide cake into 25 mini squares.

Make your chocolate ganache:

Heat the coconut water or coconut milk if in a small pan until almost boiling. Turn off the heat.

Add the chocolate and stir it through the coconut until you have a smooth silky ganache.

Spread each square of lamington with a little chocolate ganache very lightly and thinly with a small knife on all sides.

Roll in coconut and place onto a tray lined with baking paper to set.

Enjoy.

These delicious lamingtons will keep covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes + Inspiration

You can get coconut flour from most good health food stores.

https://www.thehealthychef.com/2013/01/my-healthy-lamingtons/

Lamington Tiramisu - a delight for Australia Day

Lamington – “Those bloody poofy woolly biscuits”.

That’s how the Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901, Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, described this iconic Australian dessert. Don’t blame him, he probably would have wanted something more manly and macho like a chunky beef pie to be named after him, and not to be associated with a sissy delicate sweet dessert made out of leftover vanilla sponge cake, dipped in chocolate then lightly dusted with dessicated coconut. I’ve also learned from the wikipedia,

Lamington is first served in Toowoomba when Lord Lamington took his entourage to Harlaxton House to escape the steamy heat of Brisbane, and the chef had to prepare something in such short notice with some leftover sponge cakes, dipped them in chocolate then set in coconut.

Okay the story is probably not that interesting, I rather more intrigued to find that the town Toowoomba is mentioned, it is also the first city I lived in when I arrived in Australia back in 1996. Now the lamingtons are just a little bit more meaningful to me whenever I have them, a perfect lame excuse for me to have a couple more this Australia Day just passed. (HA!)

I thought the lamington would be good enough on its own this Australia Day until I saw the Lamington Tiramisu on Ellie’s blog and it looks scrumptious! Since Tiramisu is The Pom’s favourite, and I have bought two packets of lamingtons for this special occasion, hence perfect excuse for me to make these Lamington Tiramisu for Australia Day’s BBQ lunch at Big D’s, it went down exceptionally well with the guests to beat this summer heat.

I prefer my cooking fast and simple when I am on a time-budget. This easy-quick-whisk recipe will have this delicious dessert ready in no time. The most expensive ingredient for making tiramisu is possibly the mascarpone cheese, but you HAVE to have it. It is a MUST, full stop! What’s wrong with you people trying to cut corners by substituting the mascarpone cheese by using butter and whipped cream? It is absolutely disgusting!

I like my tiramisu light and airy with the Lamington sponge cakes soaking up all the coffee and most importantly, a nice boozy kick. Instead of adding the eggs directly into the mascarpone, I advice you to put some little extra effort to whip the thickened cream (double cream) then whisk the egg white separately until soft peak then fold it in does make a big difference to the end result. Also make sure the lamingtons are nicely soaked up all the coffee, but not too soggy. 

If you prefer your tiramisu a little more boozy like me, add a few extra tablespoon of whatever alcohol you are using into the mascarpone mixture, and also drizzle over the sponge cakes while assembling it in the serving glass. Best to leave the tiramisu overnight in the fridge with cling wrap and it will taste even more divine the next day.

Lamington Tiramisu (serves 6-8)

Ingredients 

2 packets Lamington fingers (about 16 fingers)

1 cup strong espresso coffee

1/4 cup of Amaretto 2 eggs (separated)

3 tbsp caster sugar

250gram mascarpone cheese

250ml thickened cream, whipped

 Method

1.Combine the coffee and Amaretto in a bowl. 

2. Add egg yolk and sugar in a bowl and whisk until thick and pale. Add mascarpone and beat until just combined. Add 3 tablespoon of Amaretto and mix well. 

 3. Fold in the whipped cream into the mixture. Beat egg white until soft peak, gently fold it into the cream, trying not to lose the volume. 

 4. Cut lamington to the size that just cover the base of the serving glass, dip half of the lamington fingers, one at a time, into the coffee mixture. Drain off and arrange the lamington in the base of the service glasses. 

 5. Spoon Mascarpone mixture over the top until the lamington is fully covered. 

 6. Repeat step 4 - 5 until the serving glasses are filled to the top. 

 7. Wrap serving glasses with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until ready to serve.

http://www.atablefortwo.com.au/2010/01/lamington-tiramisu-for-australia-day/

Celebrate Australia Day with a plate of true-blue Aussie Lamingtons

January 26 is a day for Australians to celebrate.

Across Australia, whether it's backyard cricket matches, beach parties, BBQs, sports day, thong throwing, surfing, swimming or fishing - it's all part of the Australian tradition.

And what could be more Australian than devouring our own national culinary icon - the humble lamington.

The lamington was created at Government House in Brisbane over a century ago under the guidance of Lord Lamington - an English aristocrat who was Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901.

The lamington was "invented" after a slip-up by a maid-servant at Government House in Brisbane who turned disaster into delight with the creation of the chocolate-covered sensation smothered in desiccated coconut.

Lord Lamington devoured the new-fangled tasty treats named after him with great fervour but is on the record as calling them "those bloody poofy woolly biscuits".

Lord Lamington, also Baron Lamington, was born in London on 29 July 1860 as Charles Wallace Alexander Napier Cochrane-Baillie - a mouthful almost as big as an Australian lamington.

Paul Tully celebrates the
 100th anniversary of the
 Australian Lamington.

So on Australia Day, tuck into some true-blue Aussie lamingtons and remember they were created by an Englishman who was Governor of Queensland almost 115 years ago.

It's fortunate the name "Lamington" actually stuck for these tasty morsels.

Imagine if Lord Lamington had wanted a little more notoriety and the chocolate-covered cake had been given his real surname and not his aristocratic British title.

Today, across the cake shops and food outlets of Australia, instead of ordering lamingtons, we would be asking for a packet of "Cochrane-Baillies" - which has as much ring to it as a culinary delights of a raw witchetty grub!

Happy celebrating and eating!

The history of the Australian Lamington: CLICK HERE

A touch of Fiji with Aussie Lamingtons, Anzac Biscuits, Damper Bread, Iced VoVos and Tim Tams

Chef Seeto takes readers on a culinary journey around the world to discover some of his favourite foods and adapting their recipes with a touch of Fijian flavour. With Australia celebrating its official national day tomorrow, Chef takes a nostalgic trip back home to celebrate Australia Day.

As the only Australian kid of Chinese heritage at my school, I remember the embarrassment of opening my primary school lunch box everyday as the other kids gathered around to see what exotic leftovers mum had packed for me.

My lunch was very different to their cheese and vegemite or peanut butter sandwiches. As soon as I lifted the lid on the plastic box I would cringe to find a bun filled with Chinese red pork, hoisin sauce and lettuce, or even worse, the strong smell of steamed taro cake cooked with dried shrimps, onions and Chinese salami, lup cheong.

It wasn't that I didn't like mum's cooking (she still makes these for me when I go home!), but I was the kid with the weird and smelly lunchbox.

I was more fascinated in what the other kids had in their lunchbox. I soon learned that mum's cooking was in high demand among my classmates compared to their plain sandwiches, so lunchtime was always a serious barter and negotiation to trade my Chinese-made lunch for an Aussie one.

Although the typical Australian dinner back then was generally made up of meat and three vegetables or fish and chips, for a kid of Chinese heritage growing up in Australia, the gastronomic experiences were both intriguing and deliciously tantalising.

Anzac biscuits, 

Iced VoVos and Tim Tams

Australians have a sweet tooth for biscuits like most other countries and three of the classics are creations that every Aussie knows and loves.

Associated with Anzac Day on April 25, the ANZAC biscuit is a crunchy commemoration of the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought in World War I.

The ANZAC biscuit was made by wives during the war and sent to soldiers, because the basic ingredients were able to keep for a long time, even on long boat journeys.

When former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd mentioned Iced VoVo in his 2007 election speech, he single-handedly cemented the biscuit's place in Australian folklore.

The wheat-flour biscuit with a strip of pink fondant on either side of raspberry jam and sprinkled with coconut is a sweet, soft and crunchy mouthful. But perhaps the most popular and desired Aussie biscuit is the Tim Tam.

This much loved chocolate biscuit is made up of two layers of chocolate-malted biscuit, separated by a light chocolate filling and coated in melted chocolate. Tim Tams were not named after a man, but a horse who won the Kentucky Derby race in 1958.

Australians eat more than 400 million Tim Tams a year with nearly 1 in 2 homes having a packet in their cupboard. On sale in Fiji, try a Tim Tam Slam by dunking a biscuit in a mug of hot coffee or chocolate, or bitten of both ends and used it as a straw in a hot beverage? Pure chocolately heaven!

Eating the native animals

On the Fiji flag, the coat of arms has a British lion holding a cocoa pod between its paws. The upper left is sugar cane, upper right is a coconut palm, the lower left a dove of peace, and the lower right a bunch of bananas.

Fijians eat everything on the emblem except the lion and dove, which don't exist in Fiji, but in Australia we do eat both animals on the Aussie coat of arms; the emu and kangaroo!

Both native animals have lean meat that is virtually fat-free and low in cholesterol, and work well when smoked or eaten rare to medium-rare.

Emu and roo make great pizza toppings or served with a sweet fruity sauce as a main meal to balance out their richness. Australian bush tucker cuisine in the desert regions also includes nearly anything with a heartbeat including crocodile, camel (known as beef of the desert!), goanna lizard and even moth larvae known as witchetty grubs.

These fat and juicy caterpillar-looking worms taste like scrambled eggs or peanut butter and are a delicacy of the Aboriginal Australians in the outback.

And before you ask, yes, I have had the displeasure of tasting these grubs while working in the Central Australian desert, and whilst I agree they taste like mushy eggs, the thought of biting the head of this live insect food is enough to make you vomit before you even get to taste it!

Damper Bread

This iconic, cheap Australian food was the staple of workers in the rural districts in days gone by. Originally it was the simplest of recipes.

The soda bread is made from wheat flour, water and a pinch of salt, then baked in the coals of a campfire and eaten with hot tea or a swig of rum.

Similar to a scone, hot damper bread with lashings of fresh butter and jam is one of the cultural foods that is indelibly ingrained into the tastebuds of most Aussie kids.

Weet-Bix

"Aussie kids, are Weet-Bix kids. Aussie kids, are Weet…Bix…Kids" was a popular advertising jingle that helped to propel and promote this breakfast cereal across Australia when I was young.

Originally invented by an Australian, the high-fibre breakfast biscuit is made from whole-grain wheat has been an Australian food favourite since 1930.

Eaten with milk, some tasty ways to enjoy Weet-Bix is with bananas and honey, pawpaw and yoghurt or just plain milk with a spoonful of sugar or honey.

Lamingtons

This tasty cake can be found at most school fairs and is the pride of many a mother's kitchen. The lamington is often referred to as the "National Cake of Australia".

The National Trust of Queensland even named the lamington one of Australia's favourite icons. This square-shaped sponge cake is coated in a layer of chocolate icing and desiccated coconut, and is delicious filled with jam and fresh cream.

Just as upside down cake or pineapple pie is sold at roadside stalls in Fiji, the Aussie lamington is sold at fundraisers and is a definite addition to any Australia Day dessert menu.

Lamb leg roast

No Australia Day is complete without a roasted leg of lamb. Some might even say that is totally un-Australian not to have lamb on their national day.

Across the country, Sunday lunch is not the same without mum's cooking a lamb roast infused with garlic, rosemary and olive oil that make this piece of meat delicious and tender.

Though its origins are in 15th century Britain, a feast of roast lamb, potatoes, peas and gravy is as Aussie as Vegemite.

The list of classic Aussie foods is endless including meat pies with mushy peas and gravy, hamburgers with beetroot, chicken parmi (parmigiana), the Chiko roll, fairy bread, spag bol (spaghetti Bolognese), barbecue snags (sausages) and of course, Vegemite on toast.

Some are original creations but many are adaptations of foreign cuisines. But that's the beauty of cooking. Why re-invent the wheel when someone else has already done the hard work to create something spectacular.

You just need to add a local touch!

Happy Australia Day to all my Aussie compatriots! It's time to put another shrimp on the barbie.

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=292911

Celebrate Australia Day in L.A. with lamingtons , pies, fairy bread and a flat white

Australian pie.

Bronzed Aussie Meat pie!

Australians are everywhere in L.A. these days. And while it seems like they're opening restaurants on every corner and taking every other role in the movies (and plenty on TV too), January 26 will be a day when they'll definitely be feeling homesick but proud. 

That's because Aussies like to party (a given), but never more than on Australia Day.

A national holiday akin to the 4th of July, Australia Day is usually spent in the backyard with sausage sizzling on the barbie, with a chilled beer (stubby or tinny) fresh out the esky (cooler) and Triple J's Hottest 100 on the radio — a voted song countdown that lasts all day and forms the soundtrack to it all. Later on, there's the obligatory fireworks.

There's been an explosion in Aussie-run and Aussie-friendly pie shops and coffee bars around town, and even Starbucks recently announced that they're going to be offering Aussie coffee fave, the "flat white" (though ironically, that would be an oxymoron to an Aussie).

But why the Antipodean trend? Well, the Aussie dollar's strong against the buck, and of course the SoCal climate and lifestyle has it's appeal too. More importantly, however, where are the top spots to experience Australia Day?

A flat white.

Hugh Jackman likes the shredded meat pies and his kids adore the lamingtons (sponge cake with chocolate coating and grated coconut) at Bronzed Aussie just off 7th Street and Los Angeles in downtown L.A. Just ranked at #54 in Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat in the US in 2015, they're celebrating Australia Day on Sunday, January 25 by giving away Anzac cookies (a kind of sweet flapjack-type affair) and Vegemite sandwiches (a love-it-or-hate-it thing), plus having a didgeridoo player do his thing from 4 p.m. onward.

Yes, that's a day early because — thanks to a barely-believable time difference — the party's gotta to get started early if it wants to line up with the radio show and everyone's mates Down Under.

At Coffee + Food in Larchmont (Russell Crowe's joint when he's in town) they're celebrating both days with lots of flags, balloons and snacks. And in West Hollywood, the newly-opened Longshot Coffee (right under the library) is handing out lamingtons too. 

Down at Pie Not in Costa Mesa there will be free samples, raffle prizes, balloon animals, musi and an appearance from the Orange County Bombers AFL team (ask an Aussie what AFL is), while in Hermosa Beach, The Source has 50 percent off flat whites on the day itself, (giving you a good reason to give it a try.

Finally, at the Gum Tree there will be Tim Tam s’mores and some raffle prizes and giveaways. Be prepared to see the Australian flag and a lot of smiling faces wherever you visit, and as for the food, you can't go wrong. You'll recognize avocado toast, sausage rolls and pies, but how about taking a chance on some fairy bread? Good on ya!

Fairy Bread

Other L.A. Australian venues that may not be planning special events for Australia Day, but are worth a stop anyway include:

Woodcat Coffee 1532 W. Sunset Blvd, Echo Park

Deus ex Machina 1001 Venice Blvd., Venice

Two Guns Espresso 350 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach (due to launch a DTLA store in March) 

Document Coffee Bar 3850 Wilshire Blvd. #107, KTown

The Authentic Aussie Pie Kitchen 2510 Main Street, Santa Monica

Garlo's 1010 Glendon Avenue, Westwood

http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/celebrate-australia-day-in-la-with-pies-lamingtons-fairy-bread-and-a-flat-white-5347065

Easy Australia Day Recipes including gluten-free and double choc Aussie lamingtons

Make yourself a scrumptious Australia Day treat.

Gluten-free lamingtons

Gluten-free lamingtons.

Hosting a gathering this Australia Day? 

Here are some crowd-pleasing recipes for a ripper feast.

Throw some prawns, mango and snags on the barbie, or get baking and make some classic meat pies, lamingtons or cheesy Vegemite scrolls.

Plus, we're claiming the pavlova as our own, try our foolproof step-by-step guide.

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Australia Day lamb shank pie
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http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/cook/aggregate/australia-day-recipes-20150122-3ome1.html

Queensland's top 10 cocktails - but the best may be the Lamington Cocktail

Fairy Floss Windmills. 

BT's Best is our mission to find the best of everything in Queensland. This week, it's been thirsty work to find the best signature cocktails, and importantly for at-home chefs, we reveal what's in them.

North Queensland seems to have some of the best mixologists in the state, but we've managed to come up with a list which not only celebrates our wonderful state, but stretches far and wide.

Remember, please drink responsibly.

The socialite. 

The cocktail: Fairy Floss Windmills

What's in it: Vanilla vodka, elderflower liqueur, cranberry and apple juice, twist of lemon and topped with strawberry fairy floss

Number 1

The Twig And Berry cocktail. 

Where you can get it: Shaw and Co, Townsville

Sounds sweet, right? But the lemon gives it a zesty kick, and the cranberry and apple juice a tropical flavour which sits beautifully with its north Queensland home. For originality and flavour, it was hard to go past as the top signature cocktail in the state. Is it worth the trip to Townsville? That's your call.

Number 2

The Chocolate Martini cocktail by Cuvee Lounge at Sofitel Brisbane Central. 

The cocktail: Klimax

What's in it: Muddled strawberries, strawberry liquor, Chambord, Praiso, lemonade and finished with a garnish of, yes you guessed it, strawberries

Where you can get it: Cube Hotel, Toowoomba

This shows that cocktails don't have to be overly complex, and that they can take advantage of an abundance of fresh local produce – in this case, strawberries.

Number 3

The cocktail: Coast's cold-smoked miracle cure

What's in it: House cold-smoked Maker's Mark bourbon shaken with Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, English marmalade and cherry bitters.

Where you can get it: Coast Restaurant and Bar, Hervey Bay

Okay, so there's not much in this one which says "Queensland", but it does the trick. Word has it that there's a medicinal element, "prescribed straight up for immediate consumption".

Number 4

The cocktail: The Cane Toad

What's in it: Banana, lime juice, Disaronno Amaretto, dark rum, pineapple juice, lychee juice, banana wheel as garnish

Where you can get it: Sling Lounge, West End, Brisbane

It's regarded as a pest, but it's become celebrated as the mascot of our state rugby league team, and now in a glass. Welcome to "The Cane Toad".

Number 5

The cocktail: The socialite

What's in it: Spiced rum, pear liqueur, ginger liqueur with fresh pear and crystalised ginger

Where you can get it: New Inchcolm and Suites, Wickham Tce, Brisbane

It's one of the oldest hotels in the city, but a refurbishment late last year makes it one of the newest menus. The cocktail is a simple recipe with a powerful punch (forgive the pun).

Number 6

The cocktail: Aussie Gun Powder

What's in it: Bullet rye whiskey, Oloroso sherry, beetroot chunks, Peycheaud's bitters and egg whites

Where you can get it: Mr and Mrs G, Eagle Street Pier

It's certainly one of the more unusual mixtures in the list. Give it a try. The flavours might just blend better than you'd think.

Number 7

The cocktail: Mile High

What's in it: Alize gold and mandarin vodka shaken with passionfruit pulp, finished with grapefruit juice.

Where you can get it: Seventy7 Café and Bar, Sky Point, Surfers Paradise

Sometimes it's as much about the venue as it is about the cocktail, but in this case it's the best of both worlds – some of the best views in Queensland with one of the fruitiest beverages.

Number 8

The cocktail: Whitsunday Mojito

What's in it: Havana Club, local cane sugar, limes, mint, crushed ice and soda water

Where you can get it: Fish D'vine, Airlie Beach, Whitsundays

On the surface it's like any other mojito, but what makes it a signature cocktail are the local ingredients – locally-sourced lime and cane sugar, with Proserpine mint. Mark's Rum Bar has been quoted Australia's largest of its type with 450 types of rum.

Number 9

The cocktail: The Cane Cutter

What's in it: Havana Club Anejo 3 Anos, lime, crème de gingembre, vanilla, mint, sparkling

Where you can get it: Laruche Bar, Fortitude Valley

Have three and then try to say the names of what's in it. This one's for all the lovers of sparkling wine, with a fresh twist.

Number 10

The cocktail: Kaffir and coconut caprioska

What's in it: Malibu, Smirnoff vodka, kaffir leaves, brown sugar, lime wedges, soda and kaffir pearls

Where you can get it: Pullman Reef Casino Hotel, Cairns

The freshness of soda and kaffir with sweetness of Malibu and brown sugar make it a year-round taste sensation, and a nice way to round out the top 10 from Far North Queensland.

OTHERS TO CONSIDER:

The Donna Bionda: Vanilla vodka, lemoncello, lemongrass, mint and fresh pineapple. Found at Donna Bionda, City Lane, Townsville.

The Twig and Berry: Hayman's gin, Campari, black pepper, topped with orange, raspberries and house red wine vinegar shrub. Found at the Twig and berry, Newstead.

The Bitter Sweet Symphony: Belvedere vodka, aperol, paval liqueur, lime, fresh strawberries and orange bitters shaken and strained over ice. Garnished with mint and strawberries. Found at Soleil Pool Bar, Southbank.

The Chivalrous Gentleman: Malt whisky, warming cinnamon, rosemary syrup and a hint of orange. Found at Vintaged Bar and Grill, Hilton Hotel, Brisbane.

Public Nuisance 19: Fresh strawberries combined with fragrant cucumber and elderflower, fortified with Beefeater gin and charged with sparkling wine. Found at Public, Brisbane city.

Mango Cooler: Vodka, Cointreau, mango orange, lemon and Demerara sugar. Found at The Rooftop, Limes Hotel, Fortitude Valley.

Marriott Sunset: Smirnoff vodka, peach schnapps, Cointreau, cranberry juice and orange juice. Found at Motion bar and grill, Marriott Hotel, Brisbane.

Up on Constance: Tanqueray gin, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup and raspberries. Found at The Clover on Constance, TRYP Hotel, Fortitude Valley.

Choc Orange Martini: Mozart dark chocolate Cointreau and vodka. Found at Cuvee Bar, Sofitel Brisbane Central.

The Gresham Whiz-Bang Boilermaker: Whisky, peated whisky, lemon, ginger, honey, bitters and Pale Ale. Found at The Gresham Bar, Brisbane City.

The End Spring Punch: Fresh watermelon, mint, Stolichnaya raspberry vodka, cloudy apple juice topped off with organic elderflower cordial. The End, Woolloongabba.

Chilli Rum Smash 17: Havana Club, Massanez Gingembre, lime, sugar and lemonade. Found at Stokehouse, Southbank.

Signature Espresso Martini: Double shot of freshly ground espresso, Ketel One vodka and Black Coffee Lyrics house liquor made from blend coffee and distilled at Mt Tamborine. Found at Black Coffee Lyrics, Gold Coast.

Lychee Heaven: Vodka, Rubis, Mohala, apple and lychees. Found at 1two3, Broadbeach.

Surfers Sling: Citrus vodka, blue curacao, fresh citrus and homemade lemonade finished with colourful garnishes. Found at Fix Bar, Hilton Surfers Paradise.

Novelty cocktails:

The Lamington: Malibu, Disaronno, salted caramel, chocolate sauce and grated chocolate. Found at Communal Bar and Eat House, Brisbane Square.

The Lemon Meringue: Stolichnaya Vanilla, Lemoncello, salted caramel, a touch of egg white and finished with a caramel swirl: Found at Fifth Element Bar, Southbank.

Pavlova martini: Gin, passionfruit, lemon juice, vanilla sugar and egg whites. Found at Riverbar and Kitchen, Eagle Street.

The Australian Mary: Mount Tamborine pepper vodka, a dash of beetroot juice, Murray River pink sea salt and muddled bush cherry tomatoes. Found at The Emporium Hotel, Fortitude Valley.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/bts-best-queenslands-top-10-signature-cocktails-20150123-12wb2n.html