Melbourne Royal Show: Alice Hirst aiming for 100th baking contest win

Alice Hirst will be aiming to notch her 100th baking contest win at the Melbourne Royal Show. See her recipe for the mouth-watering scones here.

Alice Hirst will be aiming to win her 100th “big ribbon” for baking and preserves at the Melbourne Royal Show. Her husband, Eric, is also a scone making champion. Picture: Nicole Cleary

It’s been 70 years since Alice Hirst won her first baking contest – and at this year’s Melbourne Royal Show, she’ll be aiming to notch a century of victories.

“I’ve got 99 big ribbons,” the 76-year-old said. “I’ve also got lots of nice little ribbons – I couldn’t tell you how many of those I have.”

The Warrnambool grandmother will be giving herself the best chance as the Show returns for the first time in more than 1000 days this month – she plans to enter “date scones, plain scones, sweet and savoury muffins, slices, boiled fruit cake, plum pudding, lamington, yoyos, plain biscuits” and 12 preserves.

Her date scones won at the last Show held in 2019, before Covid shut it down for two consecutive years.

This year, she’s particularly hopeful of claiming her first win in the “six preserving” category, in which one person enters six preserves to be judged as a package.

“I’ve got second, and I’m hoping this year will be good enough for first,” she said.

“But I don’t take it to heart – if I don’t win, other people can have a go.”

RELATED: Andrews announces free entry for kids to the Melbourne Show

Alice Hirst from Warrnambool has been entering – and winning – baking contests for seven decades. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Entering the cooking and preserving categories at agricultural shows across Victoria is in Mrs Hirst’s blood.

Her grandmother made her last winning ginger fluff at age 84, and her mother entered her preserves up until she died at 85. Now, Mrs Hirst’s grandsons have followed in their footsteps.

“Ben has won the state final for carrot muffins,” she said. “But Zac has won for scones over Ben at the Warrnambool Show.

“It can get a bit competitive.”

And her husband, Eric, is not only her faithful taste tester, but also a three-time champ in the plain scone category at the Port Fairy Show.

Mrs Hirst’s first winning creation was cream puffs she got a day off school to make at age six, which knocked off the entry from “the lady that always won” at the Daylesford Show.

Her favourite treats to make and eat are jelly and apples slices. And her award-winning scones are eagerly anticipated by the men at the Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Bowls Club, where she sends them most Fridays.

The scone page in Mrs Hirst’s trusty recipe book. Picture: Nicole Cleary

But what makes them so good? “I never put lemonade in a scone,” she said.

“If you’re adding sultanas, put a bit of sugar on them, but not in the date or the plain ones.

“And salt brings the taste out in all scones.”

A good scone should “be able to be flaked” and not be too “smooth and light”.

Just about any jam worked with scones, she said: “(I add) homemade blackberry or apricot jam, or strawberry or raspberry.

“I don’t think melon jam goes very well on scones though, it’s very sweet.”

The Melbourne Royal Show runs from September 22-October 2. Get your free 32-page Show Guide in Wednesday’s paper.

Alice Hirst’s recipe for plain scones

-from The Penguin Cookery Book

Ingredients:

8oz (1.5 cups) plain flour and 4 tsp baking powder, or 8oz (1.5 cups) self-raising flour

1 tsp. salt

1-2oz (2-4 tbs.) margarine or butter

About ¼ pint (150ml) milk

Method:

1. Sift the dry ingredients together to mix the baking powder with the flour and remove any lumps.

2. Rub the fat into the flour, using the tips of the fingers, and rub until it is well mixed in. For sweet scones, add 1oz (2 tbs.) of sugar.

3. Add the liquid quickly, putting most of it in at once. Use a knife for mixing, and toss the mixture lightly. Sour milk or cream may be used for mixing in place of fresh milk. Add enough to make a soft dough.

4. Do not knead, but pat the mixture or roll lightly on a floured board to about 1/2 inch thick. Very thick scones are not nearly so nice to eat as the thinner, crusty ones.

5. The mixture may be shaped in a round and then cut in triangles, or may be cut in rounds with a plain biscuit cutter. To obtain a smooth, brown top, brush over with a little milk or beaten egg.

6. Bake in a hot oven 450-475 degrees Fahrenheit (230-245 degrees Celsius) for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size.

N.B. All scones are nicer if eaten while still warm.

For date scones, roll the dough to ¾ inch thick. Spread one half with 3-4oz (1/2 cup) chopped dates. Fold over the other half and cut into 8 or 10 squares.