The two-ingredient dessert Aussies are going wild for

Who would have thought a packet of Arnott’s Kingston biscuits and a tin of peaches could create such a fuss? This wonderfully simple dessert is bringing a little old-fashioned magic back to Australian kitchens.

There’s something sweetly satisfying about a recipe that doesn’t require an oven full of complicated preparations, a shopping trolley full of ingredients or an afternoon spent washing up, and when one of Australia’s favourite biscuits is involved, all the better.

The humble Kingston, with its golden coconut biscuits sandwiched around a chocolate cream filling, has long been a favourite alongside a cuppa.

Now it’s enjoying another moment in the spotlight, thanks to an unlikely dessert combination involving tinned peaches. The appeal is easy to understand. It’s affordable, wonderfully uncomplicated and built around ingredients many Australians will remember from childhood.

The recipe gained momentum in late July after former My Kitchen Rules contestant Ash Davey shared it online. Before long, home cooks across Australia and New Zealand were trying it for themselves.

The craze even sent biscuit sales soaring. A Woolworths representative told New Zealand television program Seven Sharp that demand for Kingstons had more than tripled.

How to make the viral Kingston peach bake

Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Serves: 6–8

Ingredients

• 300g Arnott’s Kingston biscuits (approximately 1½ packets)

• 825g tin of sliced peaches in juice, including the liquid

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.

2. Arrange the Kingston biscuits in a single layer across the bottom of a baking dish, approximately 32cm by 20cm.

3. Pour the peaches and all their juice evenly over the biscuits.

4. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling and the biscuits have softened, with a little colour around the edges.

5. Allow to cool slightly before serving warm.

The biscuits absorb the peach juice as they bake, while their chocolate filling softens into a rich, gooey pudding.

For an extra indulgent treat, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of thick cream when serving.

And if you fancy experimenting, try swapping the peaches for tinned apricots or cherries. Other home cooks have been putting their own twists on the original, with some surprisingly delicious results.

It might not win any awards for presentation, and it’s certainly a sweet treat rather than an everyday dessert. But there’s something irresistible about turning two familiar supermarket staples into a warm pudding in half an hour.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is that nobody thought to make it famous sooner!