PHOTOGRAPHY PIP FARQUHARSON
Twisted columns on the front courtyard frame a view over the five hectare garden.
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Once a caterer, Jillie now hosts creative workshops at her century-old homestead. She shares the recipe for a morning-tea favourite.
Recipe Jillie Arnott Photography Pip Farquharson
PHOTOGRAPHY PIP FARQUHARSON
Twisted columns on the front courtyard frame a view over the five hectare garden.
PHOTOGRAPHY PIP FARQUHARSON
Jillie Arnott, ready to serve her famous gingerbread slab with lemon glaze.
Speaking with journalist Amanda Ducker for an article about the stunning property in New South Wales’ Central West (originally purchased by Colonel John McLean Arnott, of Sydney’s Arnott’s Biscuits fame), Jillie said she always wanted to share the home with guests.
“I said to Will, ‘I can’t live here and maintain this to the level your parents maintained it without a reason to do that’,” she said. “To make sense of it, I needed to earn an income from it. Given I’d been in the catering industry for more than 20 years, working all over north-west New South Wales, I knew that part of the offering would be easy for me.
“We had the perfect recipe: this gorgeous old house, unique in its situation, a beautiful garden, and someone who loved to cook and feed people. Opening and sharing Coolah Creek through workshops was a no-brainer for me. Will was hesitant but then he saw the joy in me and a reason to have the garden respectable.”
Below, Jillie shares a beloved Coolah Creek recipe.
PHOTOGRAPHY PIP FARQUHARSON
Jillie kept much of the home's existing decor, like this luxurious wallpaper in the entrance hall.
PHOTOGRAPHY PIP FARQUHARSON
A guest sips tea from family heirloom china.
This cake is absolutely yummy, not too sweet, and can be eaten iced or uniced. A firm favourite for morning tea here at our Coolah Creek workshops and in the tucker box for the cattleyards at branding time.
Serves 20
¾ cup (110g) plain flour
¼ cup (35g) self-raising flour
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon mixed spice
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
1 egg, lightly whisked
½ cup (125ml) milk
½ cup (175g) treacle
60g butter
Lemon glaze
60g butter, softened
1 cup (125g) icing sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.
2. Sift both flours, bicarb and spices into a large mixing bowl, then stir in the sugar.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg and milk until combined.
4. Put the treacle and butter into a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the butter has melted. Don’t let the mixture boil.
5. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture, then add the treacle mixture and stir until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Let the cake cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
8. To make the glaze, combine all of the ingredients and pour icing over the cake.
For more on the Coolah Creek homestead and creative workshops, see Amanda Ducker’s article here.
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