Make my traditional Anzac Biscuits
Anzac Day is one of our most sacred days. It is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations, as well as the contribution and suffering of all those who have served.
This day is very special to me and not only do I attend the Dawn Service, but when I started my own little family, I began the tradition of making Anzac Biscuits on this very day; which have been long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps established in World War I. Kids absolutely adore these biscuits too by the way! The Anzac Biscuit is a sweet biscuit made using rolled oats, flour, sugar, butter, golden syrup, baking soda and desiccated coconut. In other words, they're crunchy, addictive and delicious!
A little personal history. All throughout my childhood I attended the Dawn Service at sunrise with my family. My mother's side of the family fought in WWI and WWII; they were a strong Army family and her father was tragically affected by what he saw in WWII and it affected the whole family. He was a beautiful man but had many demons because of the war. May he rest in peace.
A little side note:
The Anzac Biscuit is very sacred; you have to pay them the upmost respect and these biscuits, along with the Anzac Slice are the only recipes that are allowed to include the word Anzac. Don't try to make them fancy, don't add anything else into them, and don't deconstruct them into a fancier version because it will be highly offensive. Additionally, don't call them Anzac cookies. "Referring to these products as 'Anzac Cookies' is generally not approved, due to the non-Australian overtones," the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) advises.
Make my traditional Anzac Biscuits
YIELDS 12
Anzac Day is one of our most sacred days. It is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations, as well as the contribution and suffering of all those who have served.
This day is very special to me and not only do I attend the Dawn Service, but when I started my own little family, I began the tradition of making Anzac Biscuits on this very day; which have been long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps established in World War I. Kids absolutely adore these biscuits too by the way! The Anzac Biscuit is a sweet biscuit made using rolled oats, flour, sugar, butter, golden syrup, baking soda and desiccated coconut. In other words, they're crunchy, addictive and delicious!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain flour
150g salted butter
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/4 cup golden syrup
Directions
Preheat your oven to 200°C. Place the oats, coconut and flour in a bowl, and combine. Set mixture aside.
Add sugar, maple or golden syrup and butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
Remove the hot mixture from the heat and let it cool ever so slightly. Add bicarb soda and one tablespoon of hot water and stir to combine.
Pour over oat mixture and combine. The mixture shouldn't be wet or dry.
Spoon a handful of the mixture into your hand and squeeze tightly into a ball. Pat into a flat biscuit shape in your hand. Repeat until there is no mixture left.
Place biscuits onto a lined baking tray. Press the biscuits down with a firm spatula or an egg flip. You don't want the biscuits to raise too high in the oven.
Place the tray into the oven for 25 to 30 mins, until golden brown.
When you pull the biscuits out of the oven, press them down flat again.
Enjoy warm! Or store in an airtight container for up to two weeks - but I doubt they'll last that long!
Recipe Note
When baking these biscuits, definitely make sure they are more golden brown than blonde. You really want them to be cooked through and crunchy.
