Tup's Coconut Crisps

Tup was my great aunt. Her real name was Ethel, but I guess because she was the youngest of seven children, she was nicknamed Tuppence. For most of her life she cooked on an old wood stove until the family home in Waitara, Taranaki  was demolished to make way for a wool store and she went into a small pensioner flat. She’d stoke up the fire and get mixing and soon there’d be freshly baked cakes or biscuits for afternoon tea.

These are her coconut crisps this week. They are light, lemony and very crisp – and easy to make. I make them her way and use a wooden spoon for the mixing.

Tup Goddard's Coconut Crisps

90g butter
120g sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1 teaspoon lemon essence
120g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
60g desiccated coconut

Melt the butter. Add the sugar and beat well. Add the beaten egg and the essence. Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the butter mixture with the coconut, mixing to combine. This is a softish mix.

Spoon out onto a cold baking tray, leaving room to spread. Bake at 180C for 10-12 minutes.