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| Anzac Biscuits |
Yesterday in my post on "Sharing Memories" I mentioned a family favourite, the Anzac Biscuit, so as it has been quite a while I since I have posted a “Family Recipe” I thought I would share this recipe. The recipe for Anzac Biscuits has been passed through our family for at least four generations. Besides being a family recipe this is a very traditional Australia recipe that has been baked in Australia Homes since the First World War.
First let me tell you a little about the history of the ANZAC Biscuit!! ANZAC refers to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp of WWI, and ANZAC Day, 25 April, is a public holiday day when Australia and New Zealand remember the soldiers who participated in all international conflicts.
The Anzac Biscuit or bikkie and my grandchildren call it!! Originated from the need to send troops a nutritional, tasty treat that would last the 2-3 months in transit to the battlefront. The story goes, that a group of women came up with the recipe, based on a Scottish biscuit recipe that used rolled oats. Using a combination of ingredients that didn’t spoil over time (golden syrup or treacle, rolled oats, coconut, sugar, plain flour, butter, water and bicarbonate of soda) they developed the recipe known as “soldiers biscuits” that were baked, packed into tins, and sent to the soldiers on the front. After the landing of the Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli the biscuits were renamed “ANZAC Biscuits).
As has happened in our family, this recipe has become an iconic tradition for families in Australia, with various forms of the recipe passed down from one generation to the other. There is nothing better than Anzac biscuits dunked in your tea or coffee. Not having any daughters, I taught my sons to make the biscuits, and now my eldest son is passing down the tradition to his sons.
Now for the recipe:
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| recipe notes |
Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup of sugar (this can be white, brown or a mix of both)
1 cup of rolled oats
1 cup of coconut
125 gms butter
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons golden syrup
½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
Sift flour into a bowl, add sugar, rolled oats, and coconut to the bowl and mix together. Melt butter, and golden syrup in a saucepan (or microwave), mix bicarbonate of soda with water and add to the melted butter and golden syrup, mix together and add to the dry ingredient. Mix together thoroughly, then roll the mixture into small balls (size of a walnut), place on a greased tray, flattening slightly and bake in a moderate oven (170 degrees ) for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
When cooled and they will be nice and crisp.
Foot note: I have made different versions of this recipe where I have used honey instead of golden syrup, or substituted the rolled oats with muesli.
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