Anzac Biscuits [recipe at the end]
It's the 25th of April today, which means in Australia and New Zealand it is "Anzac Day" - our war remembrance day.
The 25th of April 1915 was the day our combined "ANZAC" troops - the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps - landed at what came to be known as Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. The British, French and other nationalities were at Gallipoli as well, but this was our first big battle, so it holds significance for us - kind of like the Battle of the Somme in 1916 for the British is of great significance due to the heavy losses in one day.
On Anzac Day, we have marches to the local war memorials, laying of wreaths and various solemn ceremonial traditions such as the reading of the Ode and playing of the Last Post. After the ceremony at the war memorial, people go down to the Town Hall or local RSA/RSL for a cuppa and something to nibble on. You can bet those nibbles will include Anzac Biscuits.
The mythology behind Anzac Biscuits is that Australian and New Zealand wives, mothers and sweethearts baked the biscuits and sent them to their menfolk overseas at the war. The lack of egg meant they kept longer, especially considering they were being sent from the uttermost ends of the earth by boat. In actual fact, the recipe and name didn't come together until after the war ended, but it's a nice story. 🙂
To be honest, whilst soldiers may have received baking from home, the most common biscuits in their diet were the ones provided by the army - "hard tack" or "soldiers biscuits", amongst other names. They took some ingenuity to make edible, and a soldier even mailed one home.
The recipe for what we think of as Anzac Biscuits has altered a bit over time. They were probably derived from a Scottish rolled oat biscuit recipe along the way somewhere.
The news over the past few days has featured articles about the Australian Department of Veteran's Affairs crack down on changes to the "traditional" Anzac Biscuit recipe. For example, this article on news.com.au, by Shireen Khalil: Crackdown on cooks, cafes and bakeries which tamper with the Anzac biscuit recipe:
If businesses dare tamper with the recipe of the humble Anzac biscuit they could cop a hefty fine — some people say it’s taking it too far.
Aussie businesses could face hefty fines for messing with the traditional Anzac biscuit recipe. The Department of Veterans Affairs warned that if bakeries and small businesses tamper with the classic biscuit they could be fined up to $51,000, while individual sellers are looking at a $10,000 fine.It’s made with a combination of coconut, rolled oats and golden syrup and while there can be some substitution of ingredients for people who are gluten or lactose intolerant, it can’t have any new ingredients.
“Definitely no addition of new ingredients that alter the traditional biscuit and its taste such as egg, chocolate chips or almonds,” a Veterans’ Affairs spokesperson said, while also emphasising that “the biscuits must be called ‘Anzac biscuits’ not ‘Anzac cookies’ or any other term”.Interestingly, the first recipe I can find in the newspaper for a type of "Anzac Biscuit" in Australia contained ginger and no oats. They seem to resemble the gingerbread you would cut out to make gingerbread men.
In 1919 there was a request for a recipe for a new type of biscuit called Anzac Crispies. The name Anzac Crispies persisted until at least the mid-1950s.
The newspapers of 1920 show that some people were making Anzac Biscuits or Crispies with oats in. These contained similar ingredients to those we use today - minus the coconut - and had a similar method. Well, if one wanted to eat a biscuit with a spoon!
Some people liked the idea of oats... but wanted to roll the biscuits in them.
However, between 1921 and 1925, the most common recipes for "Anzac Biscuits" contained cinnamon, were iced on top and consisted of two biscuits stuck together with raspberry jam.
However, between 1921 and 1925, the most common recipes for "Anzac Biscuits" contained cinnamon, were iced on top and consisted of two biscuits stuck together with raspberry jam.
From 1926, the majority of recipes that seem to feature in the newspapers are the ones containing oats. These were virtually identical to the recipe from 1920. Coconut had still not made an appearance, however. The recipe also no longer suggested one required a spoon to eat them.
On 11th of November 1926, the Gosford Sub-branch of the Returned Soldier's League commemorated Armistice Day with an A.I.F reunion dinner. It included Anzac Biscuits, and other items that it would be fascinating to know more about. Somme tongue, anyone?
The first recipe I can find for the Anzac Biscuits we make today is in the Sunday Mail newspaper from Brisbane on 26 June 1927. There may be earlier ones, but this is the first I've found.
Similar recipes had been appearing across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand, including this one from 19 December 1927, which also contained some chopped almonds:
The 1940s saw a combination off most of the above aberrations - Anzac Crispies, biscuit dough rolled in oats and the addition of almonds! Traditionalists would have a field day with this one.
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The Gluten-Free Anzac Biscuit:
In fine Anzac tradition where we band together on something, both countries don't allow oats for those with coeliac disease (in fact, it is illegal in both countries to sell products containing oats as 'gluten-free' - even those free from cross contamination). So I use rice flakes in my Anzac Biscuits. These ones:
I do find that you need a few more rice flakes in your gluten-free recipe than the oat version.
Bearing in mind 1 cup = 250 ml
Anzac Biscuits
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup GF plain flour
2 cups rice flakes
3/4 cup caster sugar
125 grams butter or margarine
2 Tablespoons golden syrup
2 Tablespoons boiling water
1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
Preheat oven to 160º C
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl
Melt butter and golden syrup together, then add the boiling water.
Stir the baking soda into the hot butter/golden syrup mix so the liquids froth up, then pour into the dry ingredients and mix together
Make balls of mixture and squish together with your hand
Place on baking paper on a baking tray. Flatten balls just a little.
If the mixture is a little soft, put the baking tray in the fridge for awhile for them to firm up or the biscuits will spread during baking.
Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Let biscuits cool and harden a little before taking off baking paper.
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