ANZAC Biscuits

Hi, I'm Mia's Mum (Cookbooknic). Mia is in Outback Australia having a fabulous adventure. I am sure you will hear more about that when she has time and internet access!! While she is away she has asked me to help keep her blog chugging along by doing a guest post. 


I'm writing this on ANZAC Day. For those outside of Australia and New Zealand this stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corp and is our remembrance day for anyone who has fought in conflicts for Australia or New Zealand. It involves a dawn service, a parade, a Public Holiday, a gambling game legal only one day a year called 2-Up and baking and eating a biscuit (cookie) called the ANZAC Biscuit. I believe the biscuit was developed in World War 1 to be a nutritious, energy filled biscuit that would keep well so it could be mailed from home to the soldiers.


We are having a quiet home day. We marked the occasion by baking ANZAC biscuits which we shared hot out the oven with some friends who dropped in earlier. 

They are very simple to make. Recipes vary a little but all contain flour, butter, oats, coconut, sugar in some form and bicarb soda. This recipe came from the Country Women's Association (an authority on traditional Australian Baking) and contains lemon zest which I think lift them a little and cut-through the richness.

Anzac Biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup caster sugar

grated rind of one lemon (or an orange)

125g butter

1 tablespoons golden syrup

1 teaspoon bi-carb soda

1 tablespoon boiling water

Method

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl with the grated rind.

Put the butter and golden syrup in a saucepan on a low until butter is melted.


Mix the boiling water and bi-carb soda in a cup. 

Pour the butter mix and the bicarb mix in with the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 

Roll into balls (approximately one teaspoon of mixture per ball).

Place on oven trays and flatten slightly, leaving space for them to expand a little.


Cook at approximately 170 degrees C for ten minutes, or until golden.

Leave on tray to set a little before serving warm with a cup of tea!

If you are keeping them cool on the oven tray and keep in an airtight container for a few weeks.

I must say I am all for weeks where you work Monday, Tuesday have a holiday Wednesday, work Thursday, Friday and then have a weekend! I think this model could work every week!!

 Enjoy!

Nicola