What are ANZAC Biscuits?
These may be the best cookies you will ever make!!!
Firstly the expression “biscuit” is an Australian or British term for cookies. The term ANZAC stands for the celebrated “Australia and New Zealand Army Corp” of renowned fame throughout World War I and once again during World War II.
An Aussie favorite, ANZAC biscuits are easy to make and very economical. The origin of the biscuit is around 1915 during World War I when wives, girlfriends, mothers and children would bake the biscuits and send them in food parcels to the Australian troops overseas. At first the biscuits were called the Soldiers’ Biscuits. However, after the now famous landing on Gallipoli, they were renamed for those brave fighting men, the ANZACS.
A lot of thought went into creating the ANZAC biscuit. Packages weren’t refrigerated during the voyage across the ocean so any food sent needed to remain edible for long periods of time. The families also wanted to send something nutritious, and so the ANZAC biscuit was born. Today Australians everywhere still enjoy ANZAC biscuits. They’re easy to make and are a staple at bake sales all over the country. They are also available commercially on-line and through many stores.
They are one of the few things that are able to be legally marketed in Australia using the word ANZAC which is protected by Australian Government Department of Veteran Affairs. ANZAC Day is celebrated each year on April 25th.
They certainly were a big favorite when I was a kid. Be a kid again and enjoy. If you want to make that journey, you can find a great recipe HERE. Or, you could get some shipped from Emu Bottom Homestead (Seriously!!)
Prep Time : 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
½ cup sugar
1 cup shredded (dessicated) coconut
½ cup raisins
¼ tsp salt
8 tbsp butter
1 ½ tbsp golden syrup (such as Lyles) or treacle
1 tbsp water
¼ tsp baking soda
Preparation
Step 1
• Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC)
• Grease, or line, a cookie or baking tray with parchment paper.
Step 2
Combine the oats, flour, sugar, coconut, raisins and salt in a bowl.
Step 3
• Combine the butter, syrup and water in a saucepan.
• Stir to mix over medium heat.
Step 4
• When the butter has melted, stir in the baking soda.
Step 5
• Mix in all the dry ingredients from Step 2.
• Make sure the dry ingredients are mixed in well.
Step 6:
Roll 1½ tsps of dough into small balls, flatten them between your hands and place them on the tray.
Step 7:
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown
Step 8:
Let cool on baking tray for 5 minutes.
ENJOY
When cookies are all gone, go back to beginning.
Pingback: Search for Australia’s National Dish
Pingback: ANZAC Day – April 25th, 2010