ANZAC Biscuits

Intro

I have just come back from attending the local ANZAC Day service at the RSA Bowling Club at Waitarere.It was pelting down with rain but, as usual, the club was crammed packed. Old soldiers and their families, locals, and servicemen of every 'flavour': army, airforce, navy, police, fireservice plus the local scout troop. All beautifully dressed in full uniforms. We attend year after year because it is a part of being a Kiwi. I love joining with my community, the backpipes, Binyin's lines, the Dedication, the laying of the wreaths and listening to the haunting strains of the last post.

As long as I can remember I have been attending ANZAC ceremonies. First with my parents, then as a Brownie, Girl Guide and Ranger. I remember marching behind the solidiers in the freezing early morning darkness for the Dawn Service at Titahi Bay, then as a young bride we supported the Father in Law. Now I go to support my children who are Scouts. Today Connor laid the wreath for the Scouts, but Millie has done it in the past, and I am very proud that they conduct themselves with such decorum.

ANZAC Day is a very special public holiday in New Zealand. and Australia too, to honour our soldiers who fought and died at Gallipoli in 1915, but also other soldiers and theatres of war. Gallipoli was a disaster. The campaign took nine months, we lost a third of our soldiers, Kiwis made up a quarter of those who died at Gallipoli and it had no influence on the outcome of WWI.

What we celebrate on ANZAC DAY is the Kiwi spirit that was defined on that beach: bravery, tenacity, practicality, ingenuity, loyalty to King and comrades. We emerged as a Nation, even as we fought unquestioningly on the other side of the world in the name of the British Empire.

Anzac Biscuits

One of the food items that women in both Australia and NZ sent to soldiers during the First World War was a hard, long-keeping biscuit that could survive the journey by sea, and still remain edible. These were known as Soldiers' Biscuits, but after Gallipoli they became known as Anzac Biscuits.

The traditional Anzac Biscuit is hard and flat but newer versions are soft and chewy. There are many recipes for Anzac Biscuits. Common to most is the inclusion of rolled oats, coconut, butter and golden syrup - but never eggs which were in short supply during the First World War.

I remember making these with my Grandmother when I was just a little girl, John Imber's Mum made them for us to take tramping when we were teenagers and I make them now for the kids lunchboxes. They are delicious, indestructible and get better over the week.

Recipe

• 125g flour (4 ozs)
• 150g sugar (6 ozs)
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 cup rolled oats
  
  
• 100g butter (3.5 ozs)
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (soda bicarb)
• 2 tablespoons water

Mix together the first 4 ingredients. Melt butter and syrup together in a largish saucepan. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water in a cup - then pour it into the melted butter and syrup. It will fizz up - stir it in - then stir it into the dry ingredients.

Place spoonfuls on greased baking trays and cook for 15 - 20 minutes at 180 degrees celcius (350F).

Photograph: http://www.flickr.com/photos/australian-war-memorial/3461453199/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Fruit Anzacs

Intro
The most popular recipe on my blog is Caramel Anzac slice and when I posted it I said I would also share a recipe for Anzac Biscuits. These fruity Anzacs are the ones I cook most often nowadays, rather than the traditional ones I remember cooking with my Grandmother.

When we were teenagers John Imber's Mum always gave us a big batch of Anzacs to take hiking with us. They are good energy food - its all that sugar and rolled oats!


Recipe

• 2 cups organic rolled oats
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 cups coconut
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup raw sugar
• 175 g dried apricots, sliced

• 285g butter
• 6 tablspoons golden syrup
• 4 tablespoons boiling water
• 2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcuis. Butter a couple of cookie sheets or line with baking paper.

Mix the first 7 ingredients together in a large bowl - this recipe makes lots!
Melt the butter and syrup together in a fairly large saucepan.
Dissolve the baking soda in boiling water in a cup,then tip this mixture into the butter. It froths like mad - just stir it in - then tip it all into the dry ingredients.

Mix together then roll into walnut sized balls, place on trays and flatten with a fork or fingers. Don't put them too close and cook 1 tray first to see how far they will spread. Sometimes they spread heaps and are thin and chewy but other times they don't spread much and are a bit cakier. (Depends on humidity on the day, flour etc.)

Cook for 12 - 15 mins at 160 celcius - watch them closely they burn easily! When they are nicely golden remove them from the oven, allow them to cool on trays for a few minutes to firm up then cool on wire racks. They get better and better for a few days and keep well in airtight tins.

Caramel Anzac Slice

Intro

This is, without doubt, the very best of my recipes for slices. It has all my favourite flavours: coconut, caramel and rolled oats. These are reminiscent of Anzac biscuits - a great Kiwi classic (yes - I will give recipes for these too).

Recipe

Base

Cream together

• 200g butter
• 150g sugar

Add

• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Press mixture into a greased swiss roll tin. Cook 10 minutes at 175 degrees celcius.

Filling

Melt together

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 25g butter
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup

Pour over the partially cooked base then add the topping..

Topping

• 70g butter rubbed into
• 1 cup rolled oats (organic oats are worth it - truly)
• half cup coconut
• quarter cup flour
• quarter cup brown sugar

Sprinkle over the topping and bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees celcius.