The Cake Stall

The_Cake_Stall

The other day I was in Woy Woy, a tiny town with one of those repetitive names that Australia is so fond of. It hugs the railway line on the NSW Central Coast and is like so many other towns that have just grown bigger with perhaps no specific purpose.

However, I did discover a cake shop there, Woy Woy Bakehouse, and immediately felt like I had passed through a portal to Australia circa 1955, when I saw the offerings in the window laid out on lace d'oilies: custard tarts, lamingtons, jam slices, scones, and much more - a whole windowful of homestyle goodies.

I got the same feeling when I opened The Cake Stall, one of the latest books from Australia's favourite women's magazine. The publisher has sold more than 70 million of its cookbooks and little wonder. I have many of them, I admit - well-thumbed and a little food-stained. The reason for their extraordinary success worldwide is that they are well researched, beautifully illustrated and - most importantly - the proud claim is that each recipe is Triple Tested in the Women's Weekly Test Kitchen.

So I know I can launch into cooking from this beautifully evocative book, confidently expecting my chocolate drambuie fruitcake, for example, patty cakes, monte carlos and lamingtons will sell like - well, hot cakes, at the cake stall! And even if they are not to be for public consumption, the family is going to be very, VERY pleased with me.

Despite the focus, it's not all nostalgia, even though there is a whole chapter entitled 'Grandma's Kitchen'. One thing about WW's cookbooks is that they keep up with the times, and this one has pistachio, white chocolate and honey French macaroons, for instance, along with sweet chilli sauce, rocky road Christmas trees, and almond bread.

There are treats for kids, gifts for Mum, jams and preserves, Christmas goodies and much more - dozens of lovely things that will do everything from raising dollars for your favourite school or charity to enhancing your reputation as a great home cook.

And you have to agree either of those outcomes is a good one.

The Cake Stall, The Australian Women's Weekly, ACP Books, rrp. $39.95

by Sally Hammond

Comments

0 #1 Sweet things — Bev Malzard 2011-08-22 14:22

Thank for theinfo, will find that cake cook book - love the old fashioned sweeties - my sister once made the Rocky Road Christmas tree - in fact she made six Christmas desserts and we ate a simple tarragon chicken and salad lunch so we could do the desserts justice.

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