Saturday, July 5, 2008

Vale Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy


Heard the sad news from a customer this week that the kitchens in the Melbourne cookery institution Emily Mac are being ripped out and the building will now instead be home to business/economics degrees rather than cookery. I am not one of the thousands (?) of students who passed through its doors but I think it's worth a minute's silence for the passing of an institution which trained so many home economics teachers as well as giving home cooks the "foundation for plain cookery". The college's Household Cookery book is often requested in the shop by former students, and for such a slim volume it's a really excellent source of foundation recipes and thorough instructions. In case you ever need it there are also detailed instructions on boiling sheep's head, preparing dripping for cakes.
Here is their very simple recipe for scones, one which I use time and again without failures - no lemonade or soda water, just flour, butter and milk:
Plain Scones
1/2lb self-raising flour
1 TBS butter
3/4 cup milk
pinch salt
1 tsp sugar
1. Prepare oven and gather ingredients.
2. Sift flour, salt and sugar.
3. Rub in butter
4. Mix with a knife into a dough with milk.
5. Turn onto a floured board, pat into a smooth shape and roll out half an inch thick.
6. Cut into shapes place on baking tray, glaze with egg and milk and bake in a hot (220C) oven.

8 comments:

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Lo said...

I have most of my cookery book but the biscuits bit has disappeared. Has anyone the recipe for the finger biscuits?

Anonymous said...

Finger Biscuits - 8 oz. flour, pinch salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 40zs butter, 2 ozs castor sugar, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon water,4 ozs icing sugar, 2 ozs. chopped nuts, essence of lemon
1. sift flour, baking power and sal, add sugar.
2. separate white from yolk of egg, add water to the yolk with the essence.
3. Mix dry ingredients to a stiff dough with the liquid. Turn on a lightly floured board.
4. Knead slightly and roll out thinly to a square shape. Trim edges.
4. Mix icing sugar and white of egg with a as little stirring as possible. Spread over biscuit mixture. Sprinkle with nuts. Cut into fingers about 2 1/2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Bake slowly about 15 minutes. (no temperature given, but introduction to biscuit making - cook biscuits slowly at an even temperature).

Lo said...

Thank you very very much for the finger biscuit recipe.

Anonymous said...

Hi Lo

What did the biscuits turn out like? I have just been given a copy of this little book and would like to know some good things to cook from it.


Anonymous said...

Gosh I would be so grateful to get a couple of recipes from this book! My sister and I have been searching for a copy for years. Date Slice would be amazing and the hot Chocolate Sauce

Anonymous said...

Could I please have the sponge cake recipe my mum made from Emily Mac?

Anonymous said...

Does ant have the basic biscuit recipe?