Book of Days Tales

Today is ANZAC Day, a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served.” ANZAC Day was proclaimed originally to honor the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who had fought at Gallipoli against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. ANZAC Day is also observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, Pitcairn Islands, and Tonga, and previously also as a national holiday in Papua New Guinea and Samoa.

The troops at Gallipoli normally ate bully beef (tinned corned beef) and hard tack, food that could stand up to the arduous sea voyage in supply ships from Australia. There is a common story, not really confirmed, that women “back home” made a special kind of biscuit, now called Anzac biscuits, to cheer up the troops. They are sweet and crispy, made with coconut, nuts, and golden syrup, but with no eggs because they were perishable, and scarce in war time. It is more likely that they were baked for sale at galas with the proceeds going to the war effort. Whatever the truth of the matter, they are now available commercially and are very popular. Of course, you can also bake them at home.

Anzac Biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup coconut
125 g butter
2 tbs golden syrup
1 tbs water
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Instructions

Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the sugar, rolled oats and coconut.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the golden syrup and water.

Stir the bicarbonate of soda into the liquid mixture.

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Place tablespoons of the mixture on a greased tray, spaced well apart, and bake at 175°C for 15-20 minutes.

Place on wire racks to cool. The biscuits will harden when cooled.

If you want crisper biscuits add more golden syrup; if you want them chewier and less. Chewy versus crispy is an ongoing debate.