New Zealand Lolly Cake

A no-bake New Zealand biscuit-and-fruit-puff log rolled in coconut and sliced cold.

Preparation: 20 min · Cooking: 3 min · Total: 4 hr 25 min · 10 servings

Ingredients

• 250 g malt biscuits — crushed to coarse, even crumbs; check for wheat/gluten
• 180 g fruit puff sweets — cut into quarters; check label for gelatin and allergens
• 100 g butter — for gently melting
• 200 g sweetened condensed milk — sweetened, not evaporated milk
• 50 g desiccated coconut — unsweetened, for coating

Instructions

1. Crush the biscuits

   Crush 250 g malt biscuits in a sealed bag with a rolling pin until they are coarse, even crumbs with no large intact biscuits. Tip the crumbs into a mixing bowl.

2. Cut the fruit puffs

   Cut 180 g fruit puff sweets into quarters with a clean knife. Add the pieces to the biscuit crumbs so each slice will show pieces of coloured sweet.

3. Warm the butter and condensed milk

   Melt 100 g butter in a small saucepan over low heat, about 2–3 minutes. Stir in 200 g sweetened condensed milk just until fluid and evenly combined; do not boil. Let the binder cool for about 2 minutes so it is warm, not hot enough to melt the fruit puffs.

   Warm butter and condensed milk: 180 seconds

4. Combine the mixture

   Pour the warm butter-and-milk binder over the biscuit crumbs and fruit puffs. Fold for about 2 minutes until all crumbs are moistened and the sweets are distributed; the mixture should hold when squeezed.

5. Shape and coat the log

   Press the mixture into a tight log about 25 cm long on baking paper. Scatter 50 g desiccated coconut over the paper and roll the log until coated on all sides, then wrap the paper tightly around it.

6. Chill until firm

   Refrigerate the wrapped log at 4°C or below for 4 hours until firm enough to cut cleanly without flattening. Do not bake it.

   Log is firm enough to cut cleanly; each slice keeps its shape and shows fruit-puff pieces.

   Chill the log: 14400 seconds

7. Slice and serve cold

   Unwrap the cold log and cut it into 20 slices, about 1.25 cm thick; serve two slices per person for ten people. Contains milk and usually wheat; check biscuit and fruit-puff labels for other allergens or gelatin. Keep refrigerated.

Tips

• A warm rather than hot binder keeps the fruit puffs from melting into the crumb.

Common mistakes

• Do not use 800 ml condensed milk or bake the log: it will not set as intended.

Substitutions

• Plain sweet tea biscuits can replace the 250 g malt biscuits, but the malt flavour will be absent; check their allergen label.

Storage

Store wrapped or covered in the refrigerator at 4°C or below for up to 3 days; refrigerate within 2 hours of preparation.

Reheating

Do not reheat; slice and serve chilled. Discard slices left at room temperature longer than 2 hours.

About this recipe

Lolly cake is a familiar New Zealand no-bake sweet made with crushed biscuits, colourful fruit puffs, condensed milk and coconut. It is shaped into a log before slicing.

Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.