• One entry per person per section
• Oven baked goods only *except for Novelty
• Almond Cake size 20cm diameter maximum *unless otherwise specified for the Festival Cake section
• Festival cake recipe will be supplied
• Iced or Un-iced allowed
• Supply 4 biscuits for judging
• Supply 4 small cakes for judging
• Exhibits to be on firm white paper/plastic plate/glad wrapped
• Exhibit ticket must be attached to entry on delivery to convenor (supplied)

Almond ingredient variations permitted 
* Festival Cake will be judged on adherence to recipe

1. Whole Almonds
2. Crushed/Slivered/Flaked Almonds
3. Almond Essence
4. Almond Meal

Flour variations any grain
Self-Raising Flour
Plain Flour

*Disclaimer: Please be aware all exhibits on display will not be refrigerated. It will be the individual’s responsibility if consumed
*Judging: No discussions will be entered into if exhibitors wish to question the Judge’s decisions

Certificates awarded to 1st 2nd & 3rd place

INGREDIENTS

1 washed and dried large lemon
450g apples (such as Granny Smiths)
150g Butter melted over moderate heat and
put aside to cool
125g self-raising flour

1 1⁄2 level teaspoons baking powder
125g almond meal
225g caster sugar
2 large or 3 small eggs (around 185g)
28g flaked almonds

Method

Pre-heat oven to 160oC fan forced oven. Line 20cm loose-bottom cake tin with baking paper (bottom and sides).

Remove zest from the lemon.

Wash, dry, peel, core and quarter apples, and then toss and leave in the lemon juice.

Sieve the flour and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl.

Mix in the ground almonds, sugar and lemon zest.

Beat the eggs lightly and stir them into the flour mixture along with the cooled melted butter.

Spread two thirds of this mixture in the bottom of the tin.

Drain the apple quarters from the lemon jouice, dry and cut each into 3 or 4 slices, and arrange to cover the cake mixture in the tin.

Spoon the remaining mixture in blobs over the top of the apples and finally sprinkle all over with the flaked almonds.

Bake in the oven for approx. 70 minutes.

The cake should be golden brown and shrinking away from the sides of the tin, and skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean. 

Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out.

Cool completely before storing in a sealed container in the fridge.

NOTES
Willunga almonds work fantastic in this recipe. Just grind your almonds
down until they reach a fine crumb consistency. Make sure all your
ingredients including butter and eggs are at room temperature before using.

During the warmer months of February and March is harvest time or commonly known as’ knocking time’. Until recent years the method used was to knock the base of the boughs with a rubber waddy and the almonds would fall through onto a hessian sheet spread on the ground. The odd remaining almond on the tree was knocked off by using a long wooded pole. After completion the hessian was pulled into a long trailer called an almond boat or shovelled into bags. Now modernised ‘knocking’ is done with a hydraulic tree shaker which clamps to the tree base and vibrates. A mobile sweeper then forms rows of almonds on the ground for collection.

Mr. G Max Herriot of Willunga invented and patented an almond cracking machine in 1942. His cracking machine was made locally and sold to almond orchardists world wide. The cracker consists of revolving discs with stuyds which the almonds pass through in turn cracking the shell.

The festival has been the Willunga Recreation Park’s major fundraising event since 1969, when a local committee decided to raise money to build the Festival Hall. Today, proceeds from the festival continue to fund the maintenance and the continual upgrading of our park facilities. This week long event continues to be influenced, managed and powered by the generous donations of time, knowledge and dedication of volunteers within the Willunga community.

The Willunga Recreation Park is “home” for many sporting clubs, markets, service and social organisations. These include the Willunga Football, Netball, Tennis, Cricket, Basketball and Table Tennis sporting clubs, the Willunga Quarry, Green Light and Artisan markets, Willunga Girl Guides, Meals on Wheels, Willunga RSL and CWA and Cinemallunga.

Part of the land is leased to Willunga CFS and the park is designated as an emergency centre when the need arises, as was recently the case with the fires in the Willunga Hills. It also provides sporting and Festival Hall facilities for the Willunga Primary School.

The idea for such a park in Willunga was conceived in 1855 when the first Willunga Show was held on the land later earmarked for the Recreation Park. In 1875 a meeting of residents determined that a public park be provided for the use of local residents and, in January 1876, eight (8) acres of land was purchased for the sum of 96 pounds ($192). This land eventually became known as Willunga Recreation Park.

In 1876 the oval was established and the Show Hall was built for 360 pounds ($720), followed by the oval pavilion in 1903. The Almond Blossom Festival began in 1969, with the aim of raising funds to build the Festival Hall [basketball stadium], which was opened in 1979.

Willunga Recreation Park has maintained its status as a multi-purpose park for the use of the residents of Willunga. Its management is the responsibility of the Willunga Recreation Park Incorporated (WRPI) volunteer committee on behalf of the community.