The Great Australian Cuisine Shift; Apricot Coconut Biscuits
Cookbooks have personalities and are mobile. The minute I need a particular one, that is the single one that cannot be found. This is how I know about their mobility. I mention my little Louisianan book (which was the product of a church women’s group, from memory) and lo, it goes into hiding. I know it’s a church book because it’s polite and doesn’t taunt me.
When it appears then I will blog it. Until then, I have another 70s booklet called “Recipes”, produced by the Glasshouse United Guild. It might even be a bit earlier than the 70s as it’s typewritten and possibly gestetnered. In fact, it probably *is* earlier. It has Australian spelling and measurements (’S.R. flour’ is unAmerican, I believe). It has 50c boldly written on it in texta. I wonder if it came from south-east Queensland?
Salads don’t make an appearance. There is a whole category labelled ‘Biscuits’ (be still my beating heart) and another called ‘Scones and Loaves.’ I really think this booklet needs exploring, don’t you? I rather think that it emerged into the world just before the Great Australian Cuisine Shift. No salads, you see. And very conservative recipes.
I’ll give a biscuit recipe today and explore the rest of the booklet gradually. I bet it has casseroles. Oh, but I hated the casseroles of my childhood. Except goulash. I find good goulash hard to hate. And yes, it has goulash *and* a casserole *and* … wait for it … meatloaf. It also has choko pickle. I will go out on a limb and claim this booklet is from the sixties.
Apricot Coconut Biscuits
4 oz butter
4 oz sugar
1 egg
1 cup SR flour
salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup apricot jam
4 tbs coconut
Cream butter and sugar then add egg. Fold the nuts in then the rest of the dry ingredients. Spread on a flat tray then spread the jam over then sprinkle with coconut. Cook in a moderate oven.
I used to make something very like this when I was very young, but without the nuts. If my family made it with nuts, it would have been with almonds. These days I would see the word ‘apricot’ and immediately add macadamias.
November 14th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
I know it’s a church book because it’s polite and doesn’t taunt me.
Verrrry funny
Those biscuits sound pretty good - if you substituted nutella for the apricot jam they’d be perfect!
November 14th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
Ok, I have only one thing to say about this blog- Droolfest! I love scones! You just made my day talking about them!
November 15th, 2006 at 12:54 am
This sounds good, but you need to explain SR flour? Guess it’s unamerican like you said
I’ve not seen it in Alaska (I don’t think).
November 15th, 2006 at 1:00 am
Talia - I am a very funny person :).
Sammyig - fresh scones are almost pure happiness. I don’t eat them often these days, but I still love talking about them.
Asorum - I was being very wicked and left out an explanation of SR flour on purpose. I am now entirely reformed and can tell you that it’s flour with a raising agent in it. I think the flour I used in North America was called “cake and pastry” flour, but you can make SR flour by adding bicarbonate of soda and tartaric acid to orindary flour (which we call plain lfour).
November 16th, 2006 at 8:28 pm
I have to agree with sammyig — my stomach has begun growling since I started reading this blog.
I looove biscuits. I’ve never made them before, but now I may have to try…
November 17th, 2006 at 1:27 am
Keep watching the blog - there will be lots more biscuit recipes. I don’t make them anymore and I miss making them, so this is my outlet :).