A very different kind of Anzac Day dawned this year.
Many still participated in dawn services to remember all the Australians and New Zealanders who served and died to protect both countries, all whilst maintaining social distancing.
One thing that hasn’t changed, at least in my home, is the baking of Anzac biscuits.
Even though they are now mass produced and widely available, these biscuits still hold a historical sentimentality for us as a nation. And, let’s be honest, a fresh, still warm and slightly soft Anzac biscuit is much nicer than one out of a packet.
There are two competing stories about the Anzac biscuit history.
The first one says that the biscuits were sent as part of care packages to soldiers stationed overseas during World War I. Their egg-free recipe was created as a way to make sure the biscuits could survive long travel times.
The second story claims that they weren’t sent overseas, but instead baked and sold here at home as part of fundraising efforts.
Given that we know some form of biscuit was indeed sent to those serving overseas, I choose to believe that some version of the Anzac biscuit was created long ago to survive long voyages and still be tasty when it got there.
Afterall, with golden syrup as an ingredient, how can it not be tasty?
As it seems like every Australian and New Zealand family have their own special Anzac biscuit recipe, there is no shortage of recipes to choose from, so I bake a different biscuit each year.
This year I made Maggie Beer’s version, and even though the touch of lemon zest may be an unconventional ingredient, it worked really well with the golden syrup and gave the biscuits a brightness I’d never tasted before.
I think I might be hard pressed to not make this my staple Anzac biscuit recipe. Pairs really well with a tea affogato and a sunny afternoon.
Maggie Beer's Anzac Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 lemon zested
- 125 g butter melted
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 2 tablespoons Verjuice
- ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160C.
- Mix the flour, rolled oats, coconut, brown sugar and lemon zest in a medium bowl.1 cup plain flour, 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup shredded coconut, 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed, 1 lemon zested
- In a small saucepan, melt butter with golden syrup and Verjuice. Once butter has melted bring the mixture to a simmer and then take off the heat before immediately adding the bicarb soda. Stir to completely dissolve. Note that the bicarb will foam and bubble so make sure you use a big enough saucepan.125 g butter melted, 2 tablespoons golden syrup, 2 tablespoons Verjuice, ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- Add the hot butter and sugar mix to the dry ingredients and fold through.
- Roll mixture into even sized balls and place onto a lined baking tray, leaving 2-3cm between each biscuit. Using your fingers, squash to flatten slightly.
- Place into preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
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