13-06-2025
Out of the oven and into the competitive world of baking
For several months of the year, there is at least one country show on each weekend - some weekends more than one.
As the local show here came up, I had some time on my hands and decided to support the show and enter.
Cooking seemed the easiest - and I already had a vague memory of whipping up treats to compete during school, so how hard could it be?
I know, I was naive.
My cookbooks are still packed in boxes after moving house, so I hit up my mother for a scone recipe recommendation.
It was the first of many, many times I would contact my mother with a cooking query in the coming days- several occuring during the actual cooking process.
There were a lot of questions to be asked, especially for a serious matter like show cooking.
While I said I was naive, I'm not a complete nube to the ways of competitive cooking. I've seen enough British Bake Off, and even some in-person show judging, to know how serious it all is.
I needed to make sure I had the right baking sheet, the right round cutter - the right everything.
When it came to the actual baking, there were plenty of questions: "are you sure it's four cups of self-raising flour? That looks like an excessive amount of flour".
Then there was the "I followed the recipe exactly but it's still too sticky. I'm adding even more flour but it's not working"!
By the time I had scones in the oven, I had resigned myself to knowing I was just in the competition to make up numbers.
When I pulled them out, I was even more sure - with my somewhat still unfamiliar oven disregarding the recommended times and making them darker than ideal.
Then came the difficult task of selecting my six entries - I knew consistency was key and these scones were not playing the game.
But I still ended up, 10 minutes before entries closed, presenting my plate of six scones and six choc chip biscuits to the section convenor, along with my entrance fee.
Even at this point, I assumed it was just a donation to the society, and I forgot about it for a few days.
As the show continued, I decided it was time to at least see how I went. Maybe I got a second or third?
All of this is to say, I am a prize-winning baker, having claimed first-prize in the plain scones at the Orange Show!
There was feedback that they were a little dark on top but very tasty.
I claimed my $5 prize money - still behind financially after the cost of ingredients - but, more importantly, my ribbon, my certificate and my bragging rights.
For several months of the year, there is at least one country show on each weekend - some weekends more than one.
As the local show here came up, I had some time on my hands and decided to support the show and enter.
Cooking seemed the easiest - and I already had a vague memory of whipping up treats to compete during school, so how hard could it be?
I know, I was naive.
My cookbooks are still packed in boxes after moving house, so I hit up my mother for a scone recipe recommendation.
It was the first of many, many times I would contact my mother with a cooking query in the coming days- several occuring during the actual cooking process.
There were a lot of questions to be asked, especially for a serious matter like show cooking.
While I said I was naive, I'm not a complete nube to the ways of competitive cooking. I've seen enough British Bake Off, and even some in-person show judging, to know how serious it all is.
I needed to make sure I had the right baking sheet, the right round cutter - the right everything.
When it came to the actual baking, there were plenty of questions: "are you sure it's four cups of self-raising flour? That looks like an excessive amount of flour".
Then there was the "I followed the recipe exactly but it's still too sticky. I'm adding even more flour but it's not working"!
By the time I had scones in the oven, I had resigned myself to knowing I was just in the competition to make up numbers.
When I pulled them out, I was even more sure - with my somewhat still unfamiliar oven disregarding the recommended times and making them darker than ideal.
Then came the difficult task of selecting my six entries - I knew consistency was key and these scones were not playing the game.
But I still ended up, 10 minutes before entries closed, presenting my plate of six scones and six choc chip biscuits to the section convenor, along with my entrance fee.
Even at this point, I assumed it was just a donation to the society, and I forgot about it for a few days.
As the show continued, I decided it was time to at least see how I went. Maybe I got a second or third?
All of this is to say, I am a prize-winning baker, having claimed first-prize in the plain scones at the Orange Show!
There was feedback that they were a little dark on top but very tasty.
I claimed my $5 prize money - still behind financially after the cost of ingredients - but, more importantly, my ribbon, my certificate and my bragging rights.
For several months of the year, there is at least one country show on each weekend - some weekends more than one.
As the local show here came up, I had some time on my hands and decided to support the show and enter.
Cooking seemed the easiest - and I already had a vague memory of whipping up treats to compete during school, so how hard could it be?
I know, I was naive.
My cookbooks are still packed in boxes after moving house, so I hit up my mother for a scone recipe recommendation.
It was the first of many, many times I would contact my mother with a cooking query in the coming days- several occuring during the actual cooking process.
There were a lot of questions to be asked, especially for a serious matter like show cooking.
While I said I was naive, I'm not a complete nube to the ways of competitive cooking. I've seen enough British Bake Off, and even some in-person show judging, to know how serious it all is.
I needed to make sure I had the right baking sheet, the right round cutter - the right everything.
When it came to the actual baking, there were plenty of questions: "are you sure it's four cups of self-raising flour? That looks like an excessive amount of flour".
Then there was the "I followed the recipe exactly but it's still too sticky. I'm adding even more flour but it's not working"!
By the time I had scones in the oven, I had resigned myself to knowing I was just in the competition to make up numbers.
When I pulled them out, I was even more sure - with my somewhat still unfamiliar oven disregarding the recommended times and making them darker than ideal.
Then came the difficult task of selecting my six entries - I knew consistency was key and these scones were not playing the game.
But I still ended up, 10 minutes before entries closed, presenting my plate of six scones and six choc chip biscuits to the section convenor, along with my entrance fee.
Even at this point, I assumed it was just a donation to the society, and I forgot about it for a few days.
As the show continued, I decided it was time to at least see how I went. Maybe I got a second or third?
All of this is to say, I am a prize-winning baker, having claimed first-prize in the plain scones at the Orange Show!
There was feedback that they were a little dark on top but very tasty.
I claimed my $5 prize money - still behind financially after the cost of ingredients - but, more importantly, my ribbon, my certificate and my bragging rights.
For several months of the year, there is at least one country show on each weekend - some weekends more than one.
As the local show here came up, I had some time on my hands and decided to support the show and enter.
Cooking seemed the easiest - and I already had a vague memory of whipping up treats to compete during school, so how hard could it be?
I know, I was naive.
My cookbooks are still packed in boxes after moving house, so I hit up my mother for a scone recipe recommendation.
It was the first of many, many times I would contact my mother with a cooking query in the coming days- several occuring during the actual cooking process.
There were a lot of questions to be asked, especially for a serious matter like show cooking.
While I said I was naive, I'm not a complete nube to the ways of competitive cooking. I've seen enough British Bake Off, and even some in-person show judging, to know how serious it all is.
I needed to make sure I had the right baking sheet, the right round cutter - the right everything.
When it came to the actual baking, there were plenty of questions: "are you sure it's four cups of self-raising flour? That looks like an excessive amount of flour".
Then there was the "I followed the recipe exactly but it's still too sticky. I'm adding even more flour but it's not working"!
By the time I had scones in the oven, I had resigned myself to knowing I was just in the competition to make up numbers.
When I pulled them out, I was even more sure - with my somewhat still unfamiliar oven disregarding the recommended times and making them darker than ideal.
Then came the difficult task of selecting my six entries - I knew consistency was key and these scones were not playing the game.
But I still ended up, 10 minutes before entries closed, presenting my plate of six scones and six choc chip biscuits to the section convenor, along with my entrance fee.
Even at this point, I assumed it was just a donation to the society, and I forgot about it for a few days.
As the show continued, I decided it was time to at least see how I went. Maybe I got a second or third?
All of this is to say, I am a prize-winning baker, having claimed first-prize in the plain scones at the Orange Show!
There was feedback that they were a little dark on top but very tasty.
I claimed my $5 prize money - still behind financially after the cost of ingredients - but, more importantly, my ribbon, my certificate and my bragging rights.
