Merle's Country Show Baking And Other Favourites

Baking Desserts Australian Cooking Regional & Cultural Cookbooks Country Show Recipes Home Baking Traditional Australian Baking

Merle Parrish’s “Merle’s Country Show Baking And Other Favourites” is the definitive Australian baking bible that has flown under the radar for too long. Compiled by the CWA champion who collected more than 3,000 show ribbons, this cookbook distills 60 years of country-show triumphs into 180+ guaranteed recipes. Lamingtons as light as clouds, brandy-snap baskets that stay crisp for days, and the perfectly domed pavlova that beat city chefs are all spelled out in Merle’s warm, no-nonsense voice. Every ingredient list is in Aussie cup/spoon measures, every method written like a grandmother standing beside you at the bench, making it almost impossible to fail.

What makes this particular copy so collectible is its first-edition status: later reprints swapped the original matte cover for glossy stock and quietly trimmed several heritage recipes. Inside you’ll find the full allotment of lost classics—Nanna’s barley-sugar biscuits, country-town pumpkin scones, and the rarely re-printed “mock cream” formula that won Merle her first blue ribbon in 1958. The book is in very good condition, free of smoke or kitchen odours, so pages turn cleanly and the spine sits square—perfect if you plan to actually bake from it rather than display it.

For home bakers outside Australia, this is your passport to the flavours that define rural Australian morning teas: caramel slices, Neenish tarts, chocolate hedgehog and Yo-Yo biscuits that melt on the tongue. U.S. and U.K. bakers appreciate that every recipe has been tested with everyday pantry items; no specialty brands required. Whether you’re entering your local fair, hunting edible gifts, or simply want a rock-solid reference for sponge cakes, scones and pastries, Merle’s tried-and-true formulas deliver consistent, show-worthy results every time.

Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.