It’s ANZAC Day! Make Anzacs!

It’s ANZAC Day; the holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War on April 25, 1915 at Gallipoli.

During the summer of 1974, I was an AFS student to Tasmania, Australia before I entered college.  I brought back this recipe for Anzac cookies (called biscuits). They quickly became a family favorite and a popular gift for others.  They’re easy to make: one bowl does it all.

Anzacs
1 cup sugar (you can cut a bit)
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
1 cup flour (I use ½ whole wheat, ½ white)
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick hortening– butter or marg.
1 tb. Golden Syrup (a British sugar syrup, I use corn syrup)
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 325.   Melt shortening with syrup over low flame. Boil some water at the same time. When it boils add the baking soda to about ½ cup of water.

Mix all dry ingredients together, add melted ingredients, vanilla, and baking soda/water mixture. Lightly grease baking trays or use parchment paper. Drop batter with a teaspoon, about  2 inches apart—they spread.

Bake for about 12 minutes until golden.  They can be a bit undercooked and will become crisp as they cool.  Enjoy!

My mother wrote in her blog last week about matzo brei and how my father had suggested it was the cure for world peace. I’d venture that Anzacs are a close second.