Preparation for the first scone eating competition in Katherine, and possibly Australia, was well underway this morning as two women from the CWA expertly threw together ingredients for the tried-and-tested recipe.
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Set to add a quirky element to the Katherine Show, Liz McKerracher and Heather Dingle were quickly whipping up more than 200 light and fluffy scones from a recipe memorised after years of baking.
They are part of an unusually young Country Women's Association with a median age of around the 30 mark.
"We are hoping to start a new craze," president of the CWA Mrs Dingle said.
"Scones go hand in hand with the CWA, and after a quick google search we couldn't find anyone else to have ever done an eating competition with them.
"It is not something a traditional CWA would have come up with."
The competition sets entrants the challenge of eating six scone halves laden with jam and cream in the fastest time possible.
It may seem simple enough, but the CWA ladies have cheekily added a twist they are keeping to themselves for now.
"To sit and smash six halves might be easy, but we've tossed some ideas around and we have come up with a way to make it a bit more challenging," Mrs Dingle said.
Collectively the pair have made thousands of scones, and as they threw flour, milk and cream into large bowls they were happy to dish out their fail-proof tips.
"The secret is to not knead scones, you just want to shape it together," Mrs McKerracher said as she cut the mixture with a knife.
"Gentle hands and put them into an oven with a high heat to get a nice crust.
"In most cases they should only take about 10-15 minutes to bake."
At only 35, Liz McKerracher is not your typical CWA member.
With a hectic home life which revolves around her three young children, she wanted an avenue to volunteer as well as learn new skills.
She joined three years ago and was surprised to find the group filled with young, working mothers just like herself.
"There are one or two ladies who are closer to 50, and the rest are around my age," she said.
The group meet once per month and have raised thousands of dollars for the community since it was re-established in Katherine seven years ago.
"There can be a stigma that the CWA is made up of old and cranky ladies, and our younger branch really is quite unusual," Mrs Dingle said.
"This year we have done some awesome new stuff like tea towel printing and a preserves workshop.
"We are trying to reinvent the wheel and get more people interested, because at the end of the day, no matter what age we are the CWA is about sharing ideas and skills."
At the Katherine Senior Citizens Association's weekly meeting, this morning, the group collectively agreed they were too busy for the CWA, with a packed diary of social events and appointments filling their days.
The competition is set to take place on Saturday, July 20 at 2pm at the Katherine Show.
Registrations at the CWA tent close at 1.30pm and cost $5.
The competition will be judged by long-standing show patron Patty Buntine and the winner will take home a $50 prize.
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