Jacob's Tin" Mikado Coconut Squares
"Cupan Tae" & The Biscuit Tin (Afternoon Rituals)
There is a distinct metallic pop when a proper Irish biscuit tin is opened, a sound that signals the kettle has boiled and all is right with the world. For generations, the undisputed king of that tin was the Jacob's Mikado—a chaotic, glorious pileup of crumbly biscuit, pink marshmallow, tart raspberry jam, and a blizzard of dry coconut. Making sixty individual piped biscuits on a Tuesday in Ohio is a fool’s errand, but distilling those exact, defiant flavors into a single traybake using a foolproof seven-minute frosting is pure grandmotherly genius. It is an unfussy, nostalgic bite of history that tastes exactly like home.
Before you start
Pulse your sugar.
Irish recipes often call for caster sugar; if you only have standard granulated, pulse it a few times in a food processor to help it dissolve seamlessly into the meringue and biscuit dough.
Ingredients
- unbleached all-purpose flour2 cup
- granulated sugar1/2 cup
- European-style salted butter1 cup
- large egg yolk1 large
- buttermilk1 tbsp
- seedless raspberry jam3/4 cup
- large egg whites3 large
- granulated sugar3/4 cup
- water2 tbsp
- cream of tartar1/2 tsp
- vanilla extract1 tsp
- pink food coloring1 drop
- unsweetened desiccated coconut1 cup
Method
- 01
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9x9-inch baking pan with an overhanging parchment sling.
- 02
Rub the cold butter into the flour and half cup of sugar until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Keep your hands cold to prevent the butter from melting, ensuring the traditional short and crumbly texture of a proper biscuit base.
- 03
Gently work the egg yolk and buttermilk into the flour mixture until a firm dough forms.
Do not over-knead this; you want it just cohesive enough to press into the pan.
- 04
Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan, prick all over with a fork, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
The edges should be a pale, sandy gold. Let it cool completely in the tin before proceeding.
- 05
Loosen the raspberry jam in the microwave for a few seconds, then spread a thin, even layer across the cooled biscuit base.
- 06
Place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water to create a double boiler.
Ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- 07
Combine the egg whites, the remaining three-quarter cup of sugar, water, and cream of tartar in the bowl and beat continuously with a hand mixer for exactly seven minutes.
The mixture will transform into a thick, glossy, billowy cloud that holds stiff peaks.
- 08
Remove the bowl from the heat and instantly beat in the vanilla extract and a single drop of pink food coloring.
- 09
Dollop the hot marshmallow immediately over the jam layer and spread it out evenly with an offset spatula.
- 10
Rain the unsweetened desiccated coconut heavily over the warm marshmallow, pressing gently so it adheres.
- 11
Allow the pan to sit at room temperature for at least an hour before lifting the bake out by the parchment and slicing it into squares with a hot knife.
Wipe the blade clean between cuts for perfectly neat edges.
Notes
The magic of European butter.
Use high-fat, European-style salted butter like Kerrygold; the 82% butterfat is non-negotiable for replicating the tender crumb of an Irish biscuit in an American kitchen.
Mind your coconut.
Seek out dry, unsweetened desiccated coconut, not the wet, heavily sweetened shreds found in standard American baking aisles.
Shelf life expectations.
These squares are best eaten within two to three days. The gelatin-free marshmallow provides a superior fresh texture but will eventually begin to weep moisture into the jam layer over time.
From Cook Irish-American Food.