CHRISTMAS TREE FAIRY BREAD

I made this Christmas Tree Fairy Bread for a BBQ on Sunday afternoon where I knew there'd be plenty of kid-folk running around, but of course it was the big kids that demolished it!

I reckon Fairy Bread would have to be the most nostalgic childhood party foods for Australian kids. Little trivia for you - Fairy Bread is an Australian and New Zealand(ish..? 0_o) specialty (another proud achievement!) and it's thought the title may originate from the Robert Louis Stevenson poem 'Fairy Bread' from A Children's Garden of Verses.

COME up here, O dusty feet!

Here is fairy bread to eat.

Here in my retiring room,

Children, you may dine

On the golden smell of broom

And the shade of pine;

And when you have eaten well,

Fairy stories hear and tell.

The best part of my Fairy Bread tree was when I was standing chatting with my brother Brendon, Lindsay, and our friend Django and Brendon complemented me on the Fairy Bread. I told him that he should eat the 'trunk' because it's made out of the top of a buttercake I had sliced off. He said, "Oh, I just thought it was a piece of crappy crust". "No, no" I said, "it's cake." He said, "OH ok!" and dived in. It was a lot of fun watching him chew up the crappy crust and witness the realisation disappointment cross his face after a few chomps. Fun for all, thanks bro!

So, let's have some tips, hey?

Yes, I know, it's Fairy Bread, how can you get it wrong? Oh, you can.

1. Must be fresh white bread. I started off with this here loaf - I was the first person at Coles before 7am (Lindsay says I just go down there to listen to their Christmas soundtrack... well, Neil Diamond was on, it was pretty good). Anyway, the baker took the bread straight out of the oven for me, so it was too hot to slice. Any fresher?! Of course, it was a nightmare to cut so had to send Linds back down to the shops, where I am sure he enjoyed some lovely carols.

2. Butter. Butter. Butter. Bread must be shmeared with butter, not margarine. Margarine would crappify your FB; why would you do that to the children? Just leave your butter out at room temp so it's nice and spreadable.