Preparation is secret ingredient

HOME COOK: Margaret Courtney says the secret to her Ginger Fluff Sponge is in the sifting.

WHETHER it’s sewing or cooking a three-course dinner party for friends, this week’s Home Cook Margaret Courtney loves to let her creative side shine.
Margaret, of Peregian Beach, said she loves to cook when friends visit her and husband George, but she does not enjoy cooking for the two of them during the week.
``I love entertaining,’’ she said. ``I love setting the table and doing the candles and serviettes.
``We really enjoy having friends around for dinner and I always do a three-course meal. I usually panic three days before and sit there with a pile of recipe books.
``I tend to make things that you can prepare the day before and finish off on the day so you have more time to enjoy with your friends. Although I have a tendency to forget to start dinner if I’m sitting there talking.’‘
While Margaret loves to serve tried and tested traditional desserts such as Ginger Fluff Sponge and her mother’s apple pie, she also likes to experiment with new recipes on dinner guests.
``I’ve had one or two disasters,’’ she said. ``But you can cover up anything with lots of whipped cream or you give your guests another glass of wine.’‘
Margaret said the secret to the Ginger Fluff Sponge was in sifting the dry ingredients four times.
``A dear neighbour gave me the recipe about 45 years ago,’’ she said. ``She was such a good cook and a really good friend to the family. She told me the secret of sifting it four times. It does make a difference. I’ve tried it without doing it and it’s not the same.’‘
She said the sponge, which can be served as dessert with whipped cream and a Cadbury Flake crumbled on top, or for afternoon tea, is easy and looks impressive.
``If you do it right it’s dead easy and never fails,’’ she said. ``It’s beautifully old fashioned.’‘
Margaret admits she also loves to eat dessert.
``I live by the slogan: Life’s short, eat dessert first,’’ she said.
When not cooking for friends, Margaret prefers to sew. She is the wardrobe mistress and secretary at Noosa Arts Theatre where she and George have been involved for 19 years since moving to Noosa.

Ginger Fluff Sponge

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cornflour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon bi-carb soda
2 teaspoons plain flour
1 teaspoon cocoa
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 cup caster sugar
pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 dessertspoon golden syrup

Method:
Sift together cornflour, plain flour, mixed spice, powdered ginger, bicarb soda and cocoa four times. (This is really important as it aerates the flour which allows the sponge to rise).
Separate the eggs and beat the whites with the salt, till form stiff peaks form.
Add the yolks to the whites, then sugar and golden syrup and stir through well.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients.
Line two sponge tins (18cm diameter by 5cm deep) with baking paper and divide mixture between them.
Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.  When the sponges are cooked, remove baking paper before cooling to avoid shrinkage.
To serve, put a layer of whipped cream between the sponges and on top and crumble a Flake chocolate bar over the top.

Source: whereilive