Selwyn_Times: September 13, 2023
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Wednesday <strong>September</strong> <strong>13</strong> <strong>2023</strong> <strong>Selwyn</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />
• By John Cosgrove<br />
WHAT IS the secret of making<br />
an award winning Christmas<br />
cake?<br />
Just ask Christine Beaton<br />
(right) who is coordinating<br />
the Kiwi Christmas Cake<br />
Competition at the New Zealand<br />
Agricultural Show in November.<br />
She says the secret is passion<br />
and learning from mistakes.<br />
And after 50 years of baking<br />
Christmas cakes for A&P<br />
Association competitions in the<br />
North Canterbury region, she<br />
should know.<br />
Beaton says the best cakes are<br />
those made with love and a close<br />
eye on the regulations.<br />
‘‘The golden rule is reading<br />
the instructions. If it says eight<br />
inches square (20.32cm²) then it<br />
better had be, right down to the<br />
last millimetre.’’<br />
Beaton says she has seen<br />
many cakes disqualified simply<br />
because the fine print on the<br />
judging sheet hadn’t been read.<br />
Eight inches square, an<br />
appearance with no bumps,<br />
hollows or sunken centres, an<br />
attractive colour that’s golden<br />
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />
Baking a great Christmas cake<br />
brown, texture that’s firm and<br />
fine, its flavour and aroma<br />
must be delicious, plus a perfect<br />
blend of fresh eggs and dairy<br />
ingredients, quality sugar, flour<br />
and dried fruit, and absolutely<br />
no decorations allowed.<br />
She is encouraging bakers<br />
young and old to have a go and<br />
enter the competition.<br />
‘‘You may win or you may have a<br />
dud, who knows, just as long as<br />
you don’t drop it on the way to<br />
the show like I have done several<br />
times,’’ Beaton said.<br />
Her passion for baking cakes<br />
started with her grandmother<br />
on the family farm at Waipara.<br />
“After dad had suffered a stroke<br />
when I was in primary school,<br />
mum had to step up, so I learned<br />
to cook to do my part.<br />
‘‘Nana showed me how to make<br />
cakes. Over 50 years ago I<br />
started entering the A&P shows<br />
in the area, with cakes, biscuits,<br />
jams and relishes.”<br />
• For more information and<br />
to register, visit https://www.<br />
theshow.co.nz/nzag-showcompetitions/christmas-cakecompetition<br />
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