Anzac Bikkies

It has certainly been a long time in between blog posts. I'm still here, still baking! Not as often lately I must admit. Life, study, work and house renovations have meant less time and energy for baking. All of that has changed of course in the current situation we find ourselves in during the COVID-19 lockdown. I'm finding life has slowed down considerably, which if I'm being honest - isn't all bad. Having more time and energy for hobbies, gardening and general pottering around the house has been nice. 

In Australia and New Zealand, today is Anzac Day. So, it was apt to run up a batch of Anzac biscuits using none other than the trusty NZ Edmond's Cookery Book. If you've never tried an Anzac bikky, imagine a crispy edged, chewy centre bikky of oats, coconut and the caramel taste of golden syrup. If this sounds like your cup of tea, you're in for a treat. They're super easy to make and if you follow this recipe to the letter, you will get 20 humble little bikkies. I hasten to add that since the recipe was written - I suspect we have all grown accustomed to much bigger biscuits... As my Mum rightly reminded me, back when this recipe was written - the aim was to get as many biscuits from a mixture as possible. So if you fancy a bigger biscuit, I would use two tablespoons of mixture per biscuit, so you'll end up with 10 much bigger biscuits. You could also double the mixture and end up with 20 big biscuits if you fancy.

Bit of history first - for anyone wondering what Anzac stands for, it is 'Australian and New Zealand Army Corps'. The acronym represents those soldiers who served in the Australian and New Zealand military services during WW1 (1914-1918). Anzac day is held on 25 April each year. It's original purpose was to commemorate the anniversary of the first military campaign for Australia and New Zealand during the First World War. On 25 April 1915, Anzac soldiers landed at Gallipoli, in Turkey. Sadly, a large number of these men lost their lives in the conflict that occurred there. Nowadays, Anzac day commemorates all of the people who have served in conflict and peacekeeping operations, including of course - those who continue to do so today. 

Why Anzac biscuits? It was once thought that they may have been made by women at home in New Zealand and Australia to send to their loved ones who served in the war. There is also the suggestion that the biscuits were baked and sold to raise funds for the war effort. While we may never know for certain what their true origin is, today they represent an enduring tradition of being baked in kitchens all over Australia and New Zealand for Anzac day. 

On to the recipe...

Makes 20 - if you use one level tablespoon of mixture per biscuit

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain flour

1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup coconut (shredded and/or dessicated coconut)

3/4 cup rolled oats

50 g butter

1 tablespoon golden syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons boiling water

What to do

1. Heat the oven to 180C static or 160C fan bake.
2. Line a couple of baking trays with non-stick baking paper (remember to spray the trays with cooking oil first to hold the paper in place).
3. Mix the dry ingredients together.
4. Melt the butter and golden syrup together.
5. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water - add it to the melted butter and give it a quick stir.
6. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
7. Measure out level tablespoons of mixture, roll into balls and place evenly on the trays (allow enough room for spreading).
8. Gently press biscuits with a fork to flatten them. Once you've placed them in the oven, after a minute or so when the biscuits have had time to soften - feel free to remove the biscuits and flatten them a bit more with a fork. I did this as I found they were a bit too high and too small for my liking.
9. Bake for around 15 minutes or until golden brown.