Aunty Beryl’s nutty, crunchy spin on caramel slice is ‘pure indulgence’

As a young girl growing up in Walgett, in NSW’s Central West, Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo was handed the apron strings early – learning to cook out of necessity long before it became her life’s work.

“I was the eldest of 10, and I had to help, so that’s what I did,” the Gamilaroi Elder writes in her debut release, Aunty Beryl’s Cookbook. “I did the washing, ironing, cooking and cleaning, and helped my mum to look after the younger ones.”

What began as a survival skill became a lifelong passion for food and community.

Now, aged 83, she is sharing those decades of experience through a comforting collection of classic roasts, family staples and easy dinners – many stemming from her girlhood, and some highlighted by native ingredients.

“Writing this book and the work I do are all about the next generation,” she writes. “If I can leave something behind, and not only for our mob but for others, I will have done my job. This cookbook is for everybody, so that people can cook simple, healthy meals at home.”

Van-Oploo credits her community and family – especially her parents, Arthur and Doreen – with instilling her skills early. After her mother’s death, Van-Oploo and her siblings lived with her Aunt Rose alongside a handful of cousins. They lived off homegrown produce, and lamb her stockman father brought home. “We were lucky – everybody had meat and bush food. That’s how it was then.”

At 16, Van-Oploo moved to Sydney, working various jobs before enrolling in hospitality at TAFE. Over the next 40 years, she passed that knowledge on, teaching countless students through her consulting work and groundbreaking educational programs.

“These recipes, grounded in Country and connection, invite all of us to cook with intention,” says Sydney chef Kylie Kwong, who describes Van-Oploo as a “living legend” whose influence is woven into the fabric of Australia’s food culture.

“[They invite us] to honour First Nations knowledge, and to remember that every meal has the potential to nourish not only the body but the spirit and community.”

– Megan Johnston

Caramel and macadamia slice

Macadamia nuts are native to this land, and you can find them all over the place – from supermarkets to greengrocers. Aboriginal people around Queensland have always had access to these nuts growing wild on trees. They’re very healthy and have a delicious creamy flavour – almost as if you’re eating nuts mixed with milk. Together with the layer of chocolate on top, this slice is pure indulgence.

INGREDIENTS

• 250g milk arrowroot or milk coffee biscuits
• 200g unsalted butter, melted (for the base), plus 70g extra (for the caramel layer), chopped, and for greasing
• 2 x 395g cans sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup (90g) golden syrup
• 250g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
• ½ cup (70g) finely chopped macadamia nuts

METHOD

1. Grease and line a 28 x 18cm rectangular slice tin with extra butter.
2. Using a rolling pin or a food processor, finely crush the biscuits. Mix with the melted butter in a bowl until combined, then transfer to the prepared tin. Use the back of a spoon to press the mixture evenly and firmly over the base of the tin. Chill until firm.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 140C fan-forced (160C conventional).
4. Place the condensed milk, golden syrup and extra 70g butter in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat for 10 minutes, or until caramel in colour (be careful not to burn). Remove from the heat and pour over the chilled base. Bake for 25-30 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool.
5. Place the chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted. Remove from the heat. Add the macadamia and stir until combined. Spread the chocolate mixture over the caramel layer, then chill until set, preferably overnight.
6. Cut into squares to serve.

Makes 32

This is an edited extract from Aunty Beryl’s Cookbook by Beryl Van-Oploo, published by Murdoch Books, $49.99. Photography by Cath Muscat.