ANZAC Biscuits

By Peggie

ANZAC Biscuits are a sweet biscuit made with rolled oats as the main ingredient. The story is that the biscuits were made by Australian and New Zealand women for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) soldiers during World War I, that they were reputedly first called "Soldiers' Biscuits" then renamed "ANZAC Biscuits" after the Gallipoli landing. The biscuit appears to be a variation of Scottish oat cakes, possibly via the Scottish-influenced city of Dunedin, New Zealand. The recipe was reportedly created because the ingredients do not spoil easily, and any food sent to the soldiers was carried via the Merchant Navy to the soldiers, the transportation of said food would take upwards of two months. One notable omission from any ANZAC biscuit recipe is that of eggs.

Today, ANZAC Biscuits are manufactured commercially for retail sale. Because of their military connection with the Anzacs and ANZAC Day, these biscuits are often used as a fundraising item for both the Australian and NZ returned services veterans' organizations.

ANZAC biscuits are still issued to Canadian soldiers at Christmas during foreign deployments.

ANZAC Biscuits made using today's recipe are also carried by hikers as a food of last resort; due to their tough constitution and good keeping properties enabling these biscuits to survive many days of rough travel.

The term ANZAC is protected under Australian law. There is a general exemption granted for ANZAC Biscuits, as long as these biscuits remain basically true to the original recipe and are both referred to and sold as ANZAC Biscuits and never as cookies.

This restriction resulted in the Subway chain of restaurants dropping the biscuit from their menu in September, 2008. After being ordered by the Department of Veteran's Affairs to bake the biscuits according to the original recipe, Subway decided not to continue to offer the biscuit, as they found that their supplier was unable to develop a cost-effective means of duplicating the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup coconut (not the sweetened stuff but what we call desiccated or here it is coconut powder which I get at the International stores)
• 4 oz butter
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup (I can get this from the Commissary, Maple syrup would be a substitute but give a slightly different taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1 tablespoon boiling water

Preparation

Step 1

Combine oats, sifted flour, sugar and coconut. Combine butter and golden syrup, stir over gentle heat until melted. Mix soda with boiling water, add to melted butter mixture, stir into dry ingredients. Take teaspoons of mixture and place on lightly greased oven trays; allow room for spreading. Cook in slow oven (150 Celsius or 300 F) 20 mins. Loosen while warm, and then cool on trays.