Anzac biscuits

24/04/2014 AMBER, Canteen recipes, Party food ideas, Recipes, Snacks, Sweet food ANZAC Biscuits

AMBER RECIPE (NSW & ACT)

While fighting in Gallipoli, the WWI Australian and New Zealand soldiers survived on long-life foods such as tinned corned beef, tea and hardtack crackers. Though the crackers were edible in their original state, many soldiers grated them into water to make warming porridge. Others experimented with the hardtacks durability: messages were etched into them and mailed to family in Australia and one crafty soldier created a photo frame with them with the help of bullets and string.

Australian War Memorial

Hardtacks are thought to be the ancestor of the sweet, chewy biscuits that we know as ANZACS, which were invented by the wives and mothers who were worried about the diet of their men in the trenches. Oats were supplemented into the biscuits to give slow-release energy to the soldiers and golden syrup replaced eggs as a binder because it did not spoil.

Like the following AMBER recipe, the original ANZAC biscuits did not include coconut.

Makes 18
  • 1½ cups rolled oats
  • ½ cup plain flour
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 90g margarine
  • 1 tblsp golden syrup
  • 1 tblsp boiling water
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
  2. In a medium bowl mix together oats, flour and sugar
  3. Melt margarine and golden syrup together using a microwave or stovetop
  4. Combine water and bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl and then stir into golden syrup mixture
  5. Pour syrup mixture into dry ingredients and mix to combine
  6. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and place onto lined trays. Flatten slightly using the back of a spoon.
  7. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Stand for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.