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The Australian Women’s Weekly, Country Classics cookbook, RRP $12.95, available where all good books are sold and online at www.awwcookbooks.com.au Photography: Stuart Scott.

Creating your own sweet treats for when family and friends pop over of is such a rewarding experience, especially when you get to tell everyone you made it from scartch. This month we've selected three delicious recipes from the Country Classics cooking book from the lovely people at The Australian Women’s Weekly, that allow you to do just that. We've made:

• Blueberry Bagels
• Chocolate Brownies
• Date Scones with Whipped Caramel Butter

Blueberry Bagels

prep + cook time 1¾ hours (+ standing) 

makes 12

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (250ml) milk
• 3 teaspoons dried yeast (10g)
• 2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
• ½ cup (125ml) warm water
• 80g (2½ ounces) frozen blueberries, thawed
• 3¾ cups (560g) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon water, extra
• ¼ cup (55g) demerara sugar
• 250g (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup (40g) icing (confectioners’) sugar
• 125g (4 ounces) fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat milk until just warm. Combine yeast, half the caster sugar, the warm water and milk, and blueberries in a large bowl; whisk until yeast dissolves. Cover; stand in a warm place for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is frothy.
2. Stir sifted flour, cinnamon and remaining caster sugar into the yeast mixture; mix to a firm dough. Knead dough on a floured surface about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large oiled bowl; cover, stand in a warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
3. Grease two oven trays. Turn dough onto a floured surface, knead until smooth. Divide dough into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Press
4. a floured finger through the centre of each ball to make a hole; rotate ball with finger until the hole is a third of the size of the bagel. Place bagels about 3cm (1¼-inches) apart on trays. Cover; stand in a warm place about 15 minutes or until risen.
5. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
6. Drop 3 or 4 bagels, one at a time, into a large saucepan of boiling water (don’t overcrowd the pan). Turn bagels after 1 minute; boil for a further 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon. Return bagels to trays; brush tops with combined egg yolk and the extra water, sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake about 20 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sifted icing sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until mixture is smooth.
8. Preheat grill (broiler).
9. Split bagels; toast under hot grill. Top bagels with cream cheese mixture and fresh blueberries to serve.

Nutritional Count Per Bagel:  8.8g total fat, 5.2g saturated fat, 1287kJ (307 cal), 47.9g carbohydrate, 8.3g protein, 2.3g fibre

Chocolate Brownies

prep + cook time 1¼ hours (+ cooling) 

makes 20

INGREDIENTS

• 30g (1 ounce) unsalted butter, chopped
• 250g (8 ounces) dark (semi-sweet) chocolate, chopped coarsely
• 80g (2½ ounces) unsalted butter, extra, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (220g) firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup (75g) plain (all-purpose) flour
• ½ cup (70g) coarsely chopped roasted hazelnuts
• ⅓ cup (80g) sour cream, softened

Chocolate Icing

• 125g (4 ounces) dark (semi-sweet) chocolate, chopped coarsely
• 60g (2 ounces) unsalted butter, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a deep 20cm (8-inch) square cake pan; line base with baking paper.
2. Melt chopped butter in a small saucepan, add chocolate; stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Cool 5 minutes.
3. Beat softened butter, extract and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in sifted flour, then chocolate mixture, nuts and sour cream. Spread mixture into pan.
4. Bake brownie about 45 minutes; cool in pan.
5. Make chocolate icing.
6. Turn brownie, top-side up, onto a wire rack; spread with icing. Cut into squares to serve.

Chocolate Icing: Melt chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water (do not allow water to touch the base of bowl). Remove bowl from heat; cool to room temperature. Beat with a wooden spoon until thick and spreadable.

Nutritional Count Per Brownie: 16.1g total fat, 8.8g saturated fat, 1069kJ (255 cal), 25.5g carbohydrate, 2.7g protein, 0.7g fibre

Date Scones With Whipped Caramel Butter

prep + cook time 40 minutes

 makes 18

INGREDIENTS

• 30g (1 ounce) unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup (55g) brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2½ cups (375g) self-raising flour
• ⅓ cup (50g) finely chopped dried seeded dates
• 1¼ cups (310ml) buttermilk
• whipped caramel butter
• 150g (4½ ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup (55g) brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F. Grease a 22cm (9-inch) square cake pan.
2. Beat butter, sugar and egg yolk in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; add sifted flour, dates and buttermilk. Use a knife to cut the buttermilk through the flour mixture to make a soft, sticky dough. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead gently until smooth.
3. Press dough out to 20cm (8-inch) square, cut into nine squares using a floured knife; cut each square in half diagonally. Place scones side-by-side, just touching, in pan. Brush tops of the scones with a little extra buttermilk.
4. Bake scones about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make whipped caramel butter. Serve warm scones with whipped caramel butter.

Whipped Caramel Butter: Beat ingredients in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Nutritional Count Per Scone: 9.2g total fat5.8g saturated fat803kJ (192 cal)23.6g carbohydrate3.1g protein1.1g fibre

TIP: Scones are best made on the day of serving. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the oven, wrapped in foil, or overnight in the fridge.

** This Competition has now finished, thank you to all who participated! **

The two lucky winners for this competition were: Margaret Thomas and Alex.

Now For The Winning Part

The lovely people at The Australian Women’s Weekly are giving two (2) lucky readers the chance to win one of their Country Classics cookbooks. All you have to do is answer this simple question in the comments section of this blog post: What is your favourite treat for when guests pop over?

Two (2) lucky winners will be selected and each will win their very own copy of The Australian Women’s Weekly,Country Classics, RRP $12.95, available where all good books are sold and online at www.awwcookbooks.com.au Photography: Stuart Scott.

Remember, we will be showcasing, trialling and giving away a new cookbook each month, so keep checking back for future giveaways.

Please note:

• Only one entry per person
• Open to Australian residents only
• Two (2)winners will be selected by Kambrook
• The winners will be contacted by email and Kambrook reserves the right to announce the winners on our online site https://aperfectpantry.com.au
• This competition will run from 9am 15th July2013 to 12pm 21st July2013

Click here for full Terms & Conditions.

IF YOUR ENTRY EXCEEDS 25 WORDS YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FROM WINNING!