{"id":370101,"date":"2026-03-12T17:00:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=370101"},"modified":"2026-03-14T08:28:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:28:30","slug":"del-shares-her-prize-winning-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2026\/03\/12\/del-shares-her-prize-winning-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Del Shares Her Prize-Winning Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Del Blanch with her Kentish Cake … a recipe handed down from her mother (Photo: Supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

March 12, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

A recipe by Proston Show Society life member Del Blanch has been included in a new cookbook which features prize winners from local shows around Australia.<\/p>\n

The “New Blue Ribbon Cookbook” is the third in a series about country cooking and country shows prepared by author Liz Harfull.<\/p>\n

Liz put out a call in early 2024 for stories and recipes for her latest book.<\/p>\n

The Wondai Show Society nominated Del because of the commitment she had shown to show societies across the South Burnett over many years.<\/p>\n

Del, a former secretary of the Proston Show Society, is a regular entrant in culinary competitions at local shows.<\/p>\n

“I received many more nominations than space allowed,” Liz said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“In deciding who to write about, I wasn\u2019t looking for the most successful cooks or those who had been competing the longest.<\/p>\n

“My focus was people with an interesting story to tell, who have displayed a genuine love of country shows and cooking, and a generosity of spirit, either as volunteers in their community and to their show societies, or their willingness to share their knowledge and secret tips.”<\/p>\n

Del’s recipe is for “Kentish Cake”, a family favourite handed down from her mother (see below).<\/strong><\/p>\n

It has won a number of show prizes, including Champion Cake at the Wondai Show.<\/p>\n

Author Liz has spent almost 20 years travelling around Australia attending local shows and interviewing show cooks and judges.<\/p>\n

“One of things I champion through my writing are traditional recipes in danger of being lost, because people are just not making them as much anymore,” she said.<\/p>\n

“The Kentish cake is rarely seen these days outside Queensland, where it appears in quite a few show schedules.<\/p>\n

“My volunteer test cooks loved this cake and several have told me they have been making it regularly since.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I had a team of around 30 volunteer test cooks who put every recipe through its paces once I had written it down.<\/p>\n

“Writing the recipes was often a long process because many of them were not written down, or at least not in full so anyone could follow them, and I was also keen to incorporate as much of the cook\u2019s knowledge as possible, to help ensure success for those who give them a try.”<\/p>\n

The “New Blue Ribbon Cookbook” is published by Allen & Unwin.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Footnote: Murgon’s Edna O’Neill and her recipe for Afghan Biscuits was featured in Liz’s first book in 2014.<\/em><\/p>\n