Friday, April 20, 2012

Sweet sweet Friday: Anzac Biscuits

I am a bad New Zealander. It used to be that I never felt remotely patriotic, ever, about where I came from, just a slightly sinking feeling that it wasn't somewhere exotic. Then we moved to the UK and I felt even less proud of my country, especially seeing hordes of drunken, obnoxious Kiwis doing hakas in public places. Then the London bombings happened and, that morning at work while pandemonium reigned around us, I thought, "actually, I quite like coming from an unimportant country from the bottom of the world, and I am very lucky that I can go back there whenever I like".

But I feel like an especially bad New Zealander at this time of year because I've never been to an Anzac Day dawn service. I have, however, made and eaten a lot of Anzac biscuits. And the first notes of the Last Post reduces me to tears, every single time. I hope that counts for something.


Anzac Biscuits 2012
This is a 'new' version of the traditional Anzac biscuit, which was originally made to withstand the long voyage by sea to reach soldiers fighting abroad. I'm not sure what those men, some of them little more than teenagers, would think of it, but perhaps it's not so much about the biscuit but what it represents - a little bit of love from home. It makes a very crunchy, almost lacy biscuit - not dunking material, I'm afraid, but still good. This recipe comes from the Chelsea Sugar Refinery, which turns Australian sugar cane into New Zealand sugar (how Anzac is that?) And, at the risk of sounding overly patriotic, New Zealand golden syrup is SO much nicer than the English version!

100g butter
2 Tbsp golden syrup
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp boiling water
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup coconut
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup mixed seeds - sunflower, pumpkin, sesame etc

Preheat oven to 180C and line a baking tray.
Melt the butter, golden syrup and sugar together over low heat, then set aside. Mix the baking soda and water together, then add this to the butter mixture. Stir in all the dry ingredients and mix well.
Put tablespoons of the mixture on the prepared tray - leave room for spreading - and flatten gently with your hands. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. The biscuits will be very soft, so let them firm up on the tray before transferring them to a rack to cool. They will become chewier after a day or two (if they last that long). Makes about 18.

Have a great weekend, everyone x Pin It

12 comments:

  1. YUM!! hehe i will def need 2 make some anzac bikkies this ANZAC day! I have a confession... I have never been 2 an dawn service either! I guess that makes both of us bad NZers :P

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  2. Those cookies look very good and inviting. Will go well with the drink I made today!

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  3. Every time someone I know goes over the channel to the UK I ask that they bring me back a tin of Golden Syrup - it is one of those things they don't sell here and there is simply no substitute. Feel free to start exporting the NZ stuff to Belgium :)
    I LOVE ANZAC biscuits. Love love love everything about them.
    I have been once to the Dawn Service in Canberra, and keep meaning to go to the Menin Gate here in Ypres when they play the Last Post every day, but so far no luck with timing. I know I will cry. :(

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  4. These biscuits look great! Have a lovely weekend:)
    ~Anne

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  5. oh the joy of that little flag in the cookie... made me smile!

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  6. I love your addition of seeds. My favourite thing about ANZAC bikkies is melting butter and golden syrup together!

    I have been to two dawn services and both were really moving - as I get older I find ANZAC Day sadder and sadder but I also have more appreciation for remembering those who died in the war.

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  7. I think when you don't come from NZ like myself you really appreciate this incredibly amazing country and people, I feel proud to belong here. Must start making more kiwi biscuits ;0)

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  8. I have never tried an Anzac biscuit and am wondering why - coconut, golden syrup and oats...that equals perfection in my book!

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  9. Yum! These look superb.

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  10. Yum! These look superb.

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  11. I'm with Alli (Peasepudding). Not originally from here, I really appreciate the life I have here in NZ. It certainly wasn't for the economy (coming from Singapore!) but the lifestyle that I came here. The list of things I'm grateful for living in NZ has grown through the years and I always feel proud to show my Kiwi passport when I'm travelling! Now, for those Anzac bikkies...maybe its about time I make them instead of buying them! :-)

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  12. I've never been to a dawn service either, but I did march in a parade once when I was a brownie guide - does that count? Love a good Anzac bickie!

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Hello - thanks for stopping by. If this was real life I'd make you a cup of tea and open the biscuit tin, but in lieu of those things, let's have a chat anyway...