One of my work colleagues shares my birthday, but as an American, had never experienced a typical Australian children’s birthday party. In a fit of silliness, we decided that we should celebrate in that style, with a throw-back morning tea that celebrated the good, the bad, and the ugly of kiddie culinary splendour from the 60s, 70s, and 80s — mostly bad and ugly, in retrospect.
We didn’t manage an Australian Women’s Weekly birthday cake (indeed, I don’t think I ever had such a thing as far as I can recall although we had our own birthday cake traditions (sorry, Mum, if you laboured long on mightily on some baked masterpiece that I have long since forgotten)), but my friend rustled up the chocolate crackles recipe (having never made them before), found cheezels and cabana&cheese&bikkies, while I did fairy bread, cocktail saveloys, and pikelets (I cheated and bought pre-made ones). This was the resulting spread at morning tea.
It provoked some mirth and reminiscing, incorporating wry appreciation for the idea, but not always a whole-hearted indulgence in the offerings. I have come to the conclusion that my tastes have definitely changed in the intervening far-too-many years, and they are now much more sophisticated and discerning, and usually involve somewhat less sugar, fat, preservatives, and whatever-mystery-ingredients-are-used-in-cocktail-savs.
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