Australian Christmas and candlelight songs

Christmas in flip flops, how wonderful! Will was coming out of the ocean water, pulling behind the surfboard on which Joy was comfortably sprawled, squinting and enjoying the sun. Melbourne beach that day was a bustle of people with big Santa Claus hat who, laughing and chatting, exchanged good wishes between one dip and another. Lunch on the beach was delicious, Will and Joy were in fact invited to join a group of boys who had organized a barbecue overlooking the sea. The shrimp and mango skewers were delicious, not to mention the lamington, typical Australian holiday treats, and the Christmas pudding! It was Will who found the coin hidden inside the pudding, almost risking breaking a tooth but, they told him, that was a good omen for happiness ... good, Will thought doubtfully. The day went on happily, with Santa Claus arrived by surf and in a really incredible shape, not exactly a big man with a pot belly. But as evening fell, Will noticed that more and more people were reaching the beach. They all had candles in their hands, candles wrapped in colored paper. It was explained to Will that that day there was an important event, which had fallen every year around Christmas since 1938, the Carols by Candlelight, Christmas songs by candlelight! In the Australian night, as the stars appeared in the sky, the beach lit up with colored candles. And then, in a silence broken only by the lapping of the waves, the Christmas carols rose up in a fascinating and enveloping magical atmosphere. Will, notoriously out of tune, dragged by enthusiasm started singing a very ... personalized Jingle Bells. For a moment he met Joy's gaze who was looking at him, almost horrified, out of the corner of his eye. But then, little Joy seemed to reassure him, don't worry, it will stay between us…

Today we prepare the typical Australian Christmas sweets, the lamington. You need 350 grams of semi-whole wheat flour, 100 grams of whole brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, half a teaspoon of vanilla powder, 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil, 350 ml of vegetable milk, such as almond milk, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 200 grams of dark chocolate, 200 grams of the solid part of the coconut milk, raspberry jam and coconut flakes. In a glass, combine the baking soda and vinegar, let the effervescence run out. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and vanilla. Add the oil, the vinegar and baking soda solution and the milk. Pour into a small rectangular pan with high sides and bake at 180° C for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. In a saucepan pour the chocolate and coconut cream, melt the chocolate, stirring often. Cut the cake in half horizontally. Spread the raspberry jam on one half and cover with the other half. Cut the cake into squares. Dip the pieces of cake into the chocolate cream and top with a sprinkling of coconut. Refrigerate until ready to serve the lamington.