Emma has the right ingredients
Wins cooking challenge
Talented chef Emma Keith won first prize in her school’s annual Bake Off competition.
Emma (11) was named winner of Beaconhurst School’s cook club contest after impressing the judging panel with an Oriental stir fry and a tasty `floating island’ dessert.
She and her fellow finalists, who attend an after-school cook club run by catering manager Marie Brunton, had to make a two-course meal of their choice with a £10 budget in two hours.
They were observed as they cooked and judged on technique, presentation, cleanliness, housekeeping skills and taste.
Emma, from Braco, said: “Before the final, I went through lots of recipe books at home and picked out a stir fry which included chicken, garlic, ginger, sesame and noodles.
“I tried it out on my parents who enjoyed it and then made it for the contest and I was just estatic when I was told I was the winner.”
Emma also created a dessert featuring homemade meringues and custard which Mrs Brunton described as “absolutely delicious”.
She said: “Emma was the clear winner, her presentation was very good, her housekeeping excellent and the food tasted great plus she made everything from scratch. I liked the fact that she was always thinking ahead, she knew exactly what she was doing and also went the extra mile to make everything she created really special.”
Emma’s mum Dawn Keith said: “She’s always had a keen interest in cooking and has thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Cook Club. We’re so proud of her and what really impressed me was the way she picked out her recipes herself and followed the instructions to the tee. She even made custard from scratch and the noodle stir fry was amazing – we’ll definitely be asking her to make that dish again.”
Emma was presented with a trophy for her efforts and the two joint runnersup Emma Carmen (11) and Zoe Gourley (10) were also commended for their dishes.
Zoe, from Dunblane, made a sticky sausage barbecue wrap with sweet potato wedges followed by a chocolate pot trio for dessert. Emma, from Menstrie, cooked a peri peri chicken dish with a Jamaican salad plus homemade pancakes with berry coulis.
The competition was judged by Mrs Brunton, Beaconhurst head chef Andy McDougall, food service assistant Joanne Czartoryjtka and headteacher Sandra Bannerman with help from former winners Sam Hyde and Jake Gourley.