Amberley hospitality - with a lemon flavour

Last weekend, was Quaker Mid-winter Gathering. Every year it happens - this year, there were 65 of us including children. It was at a wonderful establishment called Amberley in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Once a stately home it is now the Edmund Rice Centre, a venue for conferences and seminars; prayer experiences and personal development. There is just so much room and with our particular needs Amberley provided the sort of flexibility that contributed to the enjoyment of our weekend.

The kids and their involvement in their own activities as well as inclusion in adult activities is always foremost in our minds. Amberley excelled. The children had a huge downstairs space all to themselves - h-u-g-e activity room PLUS h-u-g-e indoor games area with ping pong and billiard tables. And they could not be heard by us upstairs even during our silent Meetings for Worship.

Meals were in a wonderful olde-worlde dining room with entry out to a balcony looking across to the steep bush-clad hillside with the Yarra winding lazily below and across the river, Westerfolds Park. The romantic staircase, interior balconies overlooking the dining room, chandelier and grand piano caused one to daydream about other uses for the room.

But let me tell you about the food.

Coffee and tea all the time and access to the never-diminishing fruit basket. The food was lovely and the most wonderful scones appeared on Saturday afternoon, piping hot. We were all just so impressed - and we felt really, really spoilt.

But the piece de resistance was the Lemon Slice - and the happy women who provided all our food hospitality have given me the recipe especially for the blog. In addition, they have also provided their Lemon Tea Cake Recipe. Later in the year, they plan to produce a recipe book - proceeds of which will go to a project in Africa. 'Onya girls! Like your spirit, every which way.

LEMON SLICE

• 100 grams butter, softened
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 cup plain flour
• Extra icing sugar

Topping

• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method

Base

• Grease 19x29cm rectangular slice pan
• Line base and sides with baking paper
• Beat butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
• Stir in flour and mix well.
• Press evenly into base.
• Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes or until lightly golden.

Topping

• Beat eggs in a bowl until combined.
• Stir in ingredients
• Pour topping over base and bake for a further 25 minutes or until top is crisp.
• Slice and dust with extra icing sugar.
• Put feet up with cup of coffee and enjoy Lemon Slice served with happy memories of Amberley.

LEMON TEA CAKE

Base

• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 60 grams butter
• 1 egg

Method

• Combine flour and sugar and rub in butter with fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add egg and mix well.
• Press two-thirds of the mixture in the base of 20c spring-form tin or flan dish.
• Reserve one-third for topping.

Filling

• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 60 grams butter

Method

• Place sugar, lemon juice and butter in saucepan
• Heat until butter is melted and sugar dissolved.
• Lightly beat egg.
• Add lemon mixture to egg and mix well.
• Return to stove to thicken.
• Cool slightly before pouring over pastry and sprinkle remaining base mix on top.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius
• Serve hot or cold.

Really yummy is The Verdict!