Baking Anzac biscuits is one of the many ways we like to commemorate Anzac Day on April 25.
But did you know the sweet biscuit we know today isn’t the same hardtack biscuit that soldiers were supplied with in Gallipoli?
In fact, the origin of the sweet Anzac biscuit isn’t really known. According to the Australian War Memorial, recipes for the sweet biscuit began appearing in Aussie cookbooks in the 1920s.
They didn’t have the same long shelf-life as the ration biscuits but as they didn’t contain egg they still lasted quite a long time. It is possible then, that the sweet biscuits were included in ‘care packages’ sent from Australia to the battlefields.
Despite their origins though, the Anzac biscuits are now part of the Anzac Day tradition.
Here’s one recipe to try …
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup coconut
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup plain flour
- 3 tablespoons golden syrup
- 125g butter
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
Instructions
- Preheat over to 170 degrees celcius
- Mix all your dry ingredients together in a large bowl
- Melt your butter and golden syrup over a low heat
- Combine the bicarb soda with the boiling water
- Add the bicarb mix into the butter mix – remove from heat while it bubbles
- Pour the bicarb/butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined
- Roll into balls and place on greased or lined tray
- Press down to flatter
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden