Fay was born in Narrogin at Sister Kelliher’s Hospital and, grew I[ at Quindanning where she attended school before going on to the Narrogin and then Highgate convents. Starting working life as a shop assistant in Boans, Fay moved up to the hills where she became head waitress in the Kalamunda Hotel. In 1949, fay came to Marradong where she and husband George have lived and worked together on their farm Camballin, ever since. Now that their four children have married, Fay has time to indulge in such hobbies as ceramics and spinning and to produce those delicious dainties for afternoon tea for which she is well known.
Never Fail Sponge
The name speaks for itself. One local lass swears that even a lengthy interruption on the telephone made no difference when the mixture was left to merrily beat and beat and beat!
Ingredients
4 eggs
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup custard powder
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Method
Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually add sugar. Add egg yolks and beat well. Sift and mix in dry ingredients. Pour into prepared tins and cook 25 t0 30 minutes in moderate oven.
This sponge is very yellow. If preferred, cornflour can be used instead of custard.
Coconut Cake
Ingredients
250 g sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon coconut or vanilla essence
200 g butter
1 cup coconut
2 cups self raising flour
Method
Soak coconut in the cup of milk for half an hour. Beat sugar and butter until thick and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, coconut and milk and mix well after each addition. Pour into a greased 23 cm round cake tin, line on the bottom with baking paper. Cook for 40 to 50 minutes at 180° C.
This is a very moist cake which keeps very well and is ideal for cut lunches.
Mushrooms
A tasty and attractive addition to any children’s party, they are also irresistible to the not so young. I first encountered these delights over thirty years ago, when I first came to teach in Boddington. Whenever the occasion demanded “goodies” for a stall or party, Harry Taylor could always be relied upon to turn up with a large tray of Mum’s speciality. the recipe has recently been rediscovered by Jeanette Strickland and passed on to her mother Fay Nichols
Mushrooms are time consuming but oh so attractive and delicious.
Ingredients
Pastry
60 g butter
1 egg
60 g sugar
180 g self raising flour or enough to make a stiff dough
Filling
60 g butter
60g icing sugar
1 teaspoon gelatine dissolved in a little boiled water
Jam
Nutmeg
Method
Pastry
Cream butter and sugar, add egg and beat well. Add flour, mix and knead well. Roll out and cut into rounds for a jam tart tray. Cook approximately 12 to 15 minutes at 180° to 200° C.
Filling
Cream butter and Icing sugar together. Add gelatine. Place a little jam in the base of each pastry case, then fill with cream mixture. Sprinkle with nutmeg to resemble the underside of mushrooms.
stalks are made from pastry strips baked in oven. Dip ends in melted chocolate.