Anzac Biscuits

The other day I sent the kids off to school like I do every morning, walked the dogs, and I was just taking my coat off when I spotted to grinning faces at the front door. Because of the bad weather the school had been closed and the kids sent home! So I thought I'd bake some anzac biscuits, my mum used to make them for us when we were kids, and they are delicious, cruchy and chewy at the same time!

These iconic biscuits were originally made to send to the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) serving in Gallipoli in the first world war. There is an interesting history behind them. They were made for the soldiers serving in the first world war by wives and sweethearts back in Australia & New Zealand. Because the journey to delivery the food supplies was such a long one, they had to think up a recipe that was both nutritional & would have a long shelf life. This was the soldier biscuit consisting of rolled oats, shredded coconut and bound together with golden syrup & not eggs, as there was possible a shortage of eggs at that time, and the biscuits may spoil quick when made with egg. Initially known as the Soldier biscuit, it was renamed the Anzac biscuit once it arrive in Gallipoli for the A.N.Z.A.C (Australian & New Zealand Corps).

 

The Anzac Biscuit.

 

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ to 1 cup dessicated coconut
• 113g to 125g butter
• 1 to 2 tbsp treacle or golden syrup
• 1 to 2 tbsp water
• ½ to 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Preparation:

Preheat oven at 180°C.
Where a variable quantity is indicated, this depends on the type of consistency required.
Combine the oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a bowl. Combine the butter, treacle or golden syrup and water in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat. When the butter has melted, stir in the soda and mix with the dry ingredients.
Drop teaspoons of the mixture on a greased oven tray or tray lined with oven paper.

Hello and welcome to my new home baking blog!

This year I am embarking on a Flickr group 365 project. This involves take a photo a day of various items, situations, people & place I come across in my day to day life. Since I started I have taken quite a few home baking & cookery shots. My husband thought it would be a great idea to share my recipes and food photography with others, so he suggested that I set up a blog. Now I have always loved cooking and to some extent baking, but I have really got into to it lately!!!
As a child my Mum used to bake loads of cakes, biscuits & sugary goodness! One of my earliest memories was making homemade toffee, it was so hard it nearly took your teeth out, in fact I lost a wobbly tooth while eating it! For me it is one of my best childhood memories, the smell of baking, helping to stir & beat cake mixtures and finally getting to lick the bowl clean!
In my late teens I moved to Italy for about 6 years, and I learned how to cook Italian, which has stood me in good stead all these years. I have a great love of Italian food, in fact I like most world cuisine and like to try anything different, within reason!

Now I live in Scotland and for most of the year it can be cold, gloomy and more than a little bit wet! So I like to cook good, hearty, warm rustic fayre for the family. The boys (all three of them) love all the biscuits and cakes I bake for them, not to mention the warm stodge puddings after dinner.