Jul 20

Cookbook 47: Cookery The Australian Way (4th Ed)

My version of Cookery The Australian Way (CAW) comes courtesy of my 9th grade Home Economics class (best class ever – cooking at school!!).  This version was written by Shirley Cameron, Suzanne Russell and Winifred Williams.  Pinknantucket Press has a beautiful article from Shirley Cameron on her reflections of creating each of the 8 editions of Cookery The Australian Way.

This is my go to cookbook for simple things like scones and sauces, it’s also helpful for descriptions of cuts of meat, suggestions about vegetables, and the tips at the beginning of each chapter about what needs to be done at certain stages of cooking the things in that chapter, so in the chapter discussing bread it talks about kneading, proving, shaping, etc.

I have a fond spot for this book, but as the article featuring Shirley Cameron indicates, it is very much a product of its time.  What is featured in my 4th edition, will be different to the 8th edition that is available today.  The suggested ingredients for the 4th edition will be different to the current edition.  This book is an iconic teaching aid, and has been going strong since the 60s.  Despite some minor missteps in one of the recipes I made (more below), I give this 4 out of 5 stars, because this was both my very first cookbook, and because over 40 years of being a secondary school text book can’t go wrong.

Scones

[In CAW recipes are often detailed and then a range of variations are detailed underneath.  In this instance I made cheese scones, and will record the cheese scone recipe all together as it was made.]

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of self raising flour
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder (or more if you like it spicy)
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon mixed herbs (optional)
  • 2/3 cup grated tasty cheese
  • 3/4 cup water (additional if required)

Method:

  1. Set oven at 220C
  2. Sift cayenne, mustard and mixed herbs (if using), into flour
  3. Rub butter into flour and salt, using the fingertips
  4. Add cheese to the flour and butter mix
  5. Mix into a soft dough with water.  Add a little additional water if required.
  6. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth
  7. Roll out 2cm thick and cut into 12 shapes using a 6cm cutter or knife
  8. Arrange on oven tray and glaze tops with milk
  9. Place in oven above the centre and bake at 220C for 10 – 15 minutes until golden brown.  To test. sides of scone should be set.
  10. Cool on cake cooler.
  11. When cool, break in half and butter lightly. Serve.

Notes on recipe:

  • These are my favourite scones to make.  My second favourite is the following variation.  Leave out all spices and herbs.  Substitute water for milk.  Once you have a soft dough, roll into a 30cm by 20cm oblong.  Smooth some soft butter or margarine over the dough.  Cover the butter/margarine with brown sugar.  Sprinkle over some cinnamon.  Roll long side up as if a Swiss Roll.  Cut into 12 slices (they’ll be pinwheels), and arrange closely together on a baking tray.  Bake at 200C for 15 – 20 minutes.
  • Have I mentioned that these scones are awesome?

Cinnamon Biscuits

[Again I have selected a variation, in this case because I love cinnamon]

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup self raising flour
  • 2 teaspoons (I do rounded) of cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • essence if required
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Method:

  1. Set oven at 160C
  2. Sift flours and cinnamon together
  3. Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and mix well
  4. Add flour and mix into a firm dough
  5. Lift onto lightly floured board, knead until smooth
  6. Roll to 5mm thickness. Cut into 48 shape and place on tray.  Glaze with milk
  7. Bake at 160C until pale biscuit colour, 10 – 15 minutes
  8. Cool.  Ice or dust with icing sugar if desired.  Or you can join with raspberry jam.

Notes on this recipe:

  • I often need to add a little extra milk for the dough to form.
  • I ignore the icing and the dusting in favour of making cool shapes and then eating them.
  • These are really tasty and very easy to make.

Yeast Buns

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons compressed yeast OR 3 teaspoons dired yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons skim milk powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1/2 cup mixed sultanas and currants
  • 1 tablespoon mixed peel
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 egg, beaten

Method:

  1. Work up yeast with sugar and water
  2. Sift flour, powdered milk, salt and spices.  Add fruit and peel
  3. Make a well in centre of flour, pour in yeast, add butter and egg.  Mix into a soft dough
  4. Turn onto lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic
  5. Return dough to basin, cover and prove for 20 – 30 minutes.
  6. Set oven at 200C
  7. Divide dough into 12 pieces and shape each into a ball.  Place on tray
  8. Cover and prove for 10 minutes
  9. Bake.  If necessary reduce temperature to 180C after 10 minutes
  10. Test if cooked.  Place buns on cake cooler, glaze and cool.

Glaze:

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon gelatine
  • 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice (optional)

Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients in small saucepan
  2. Stir over heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil.  Cool.
  3. Use to glaze sweet doughs.

Notes on this recipe:

  • I didn’t have milk powder, I didn’t see the point of it in a bread recipe.  I could have used milk I guess, but I still don’t think it would have improved the final product which wasn’t all that interesting.
  • You don’t need gelatine in the glaze recipe
  • Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this recipe, I’ve cooked better sweet yeast buns.