ANZAC Biscuits

I started out on daily photo sharing on 365project.org though I haven't been very regular and am yet to try something exceptional with the camera. I am learning and will get there. What's nice is I have new friends with common interests. Rosie posted a pic of Anzac biscuits while she was baking and they looked so lovely that I almost complusively requested her for the recipe. She mentioned they are an Aussie favorite and has something to do with WWI.

(This teaset is my Aai's I used it more than she did. There are just two cups and saucers left now while the teapot, sugar pot and the milk pot are all in perfect condition)

I got curious and reading...

It's interesting that large no. of the innovations almost always have their beginnings in the military or atleast related in some way. The ANZAC or Australian and New Zealand Army Corps lends its name to these biscuits, because these were sent by the military wives to soldiers during the World War I. These biscuits transported well thru the Navy and had a good shelf life. They became commercially popular too later on. Even today these are made as a fundraiser item. 

The Anzac biscuit caught my fancy even more when I got to know that it is an eggless recipe right from the original times. When it was common to use eggs in biscuits and cookies the eggs found no use in these. That gave these biscuits their extra shelf life. It is said there was a shortage of eggs during the world war so skipping the eggs made it economical too. Mind you and you cannot call these cookies. The Australian and New Zealand law protect both the recipe and the name. You cannot change both. They are therefore the ANZAC Biscuits!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons golden syrup or treacle (I used honey)
150g unsalted butter, chopped
1/2 teaspoon soda bicarb

Preheated the oven to 180°C. Measured out the flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and gave it a stir to mix. I used desicated coconut powder this time, another time will try flakes for more texture.

In a cup microwaved the butter for 30secs and slowly blended in the honey and zapped it up for another 30 secs. I used honey this time next time I might use Jaggery syrup or molasses.

Mixed the soda bicarb with 1 1/2 tablespoons water and added to the liquid mixture while still hot. While it bubbled up kept stirring together. Poured it into the dry ingredients and mixed together until fully combined. Rolled tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls, flattened slightly and placed on baking trays lined with Al foil. Baked for 15 minutes till golden brown.

These biscuits are nice and chewy on the edges and deliciously crumbly in the centre.

You get about 24 biscuits of 2 inches size with the above proportions.

Inviting my 365project friends Rosie n Chris over for a virtual tea with this post and lots of conversation about our worlds.

Thank you Rosie for the recipe! I've already made them twice one small batch with your proportions and this one was 4X.