Australia pauses today to remember the sacrifice of those who have died in war. 

We remember that day, 25 April,1915, when the soldiers of Australia and New Zealand landed on that beach at Gallipoli and with courage made the supreme sacrifice. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed.

With a population of 4.5 million at that time Australia, as a fledgling nation, suffered 61,921 military deaths in the “War to end all wars,” World War I and through the pain, gained a new sense of identity.

This recipe is from the Australian War Memorial site and attributed to The Country Women’s Association of New South Wales Calendar of Cake and Afternoon Tea Delicacies: a recipe for each day of the year (Sydney: The Association, 1933). I have slightly modified the method for modern use.

The Anzac biscuit is a tradition of Anzac Day.

This link to the War Memorial site will give you more information on the hard biscuits originally eaten by the Anzacs and the later modified recipes that became the popular Anzac biscuit we know today.

Anzac Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 1 cup each of rolled oats, sugar and coconut
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160 C F
2. Melt butter.
3. Add syrup to dissolved soda and water. Combine with melted butter.
4. Mix dry ingredients and stir in liquid.
5. Place small balls onto a tray lined with baking paper and bake in moderate oven.
6. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown and then remove from the oven
7. Leave on the tray until cold and then lift off carefully and store in a air tight container.

*  Note: If you want your Anzac biscuits chewy, bake for 10-12 mins, if you want them crunchy bake them longer, say 15-18 or so minutes, just check that they do not over brown or burn.