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| Troops at Anzac Longing for Treats from Home |
Australian troops served in the Middle East and Western Front during the Great War — a much, much, longer way from home than, say, Tipperary. The folks at home, however, wanted to develop something that would survive the journey to their boys at the front. Anzac Biscuits were created to fill this need.
Drawing on Scottish oatmeal based delicacies, Anzac biscuit recipes omitted eggs because of the scarcity of eggs during the war (after most poultry farmers joining the war effort) and so that the biscuits would not spoil when shipped long distances. The product the women of Australia created turned out to be delicious although the biscuits — like the equally yummy Italian biscotti — are distinctly on the hard side. This, though, makes them absolutely perfect for dunking in coffee.
Drawing on Scottish oatmeal based delicacies, Anzac biscuit recipes omitted eggs because of the scarcity of eggs during the war (after most poultry farmers joining the war effort) and so that the biscuits would not spoil when shipped long distances. The product the women of Australia created turned out to be delicious although the biscuits — like the equally yummy Italian biscotti — are distinctly on the hard side. This, though, makes them absolutely perfect for dunking in coffee.
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| Anzac Biscuits — Worth Enlisting for! |
Recipe:
This is the variation using coconut of the Country Women's Association of New South Wales that has been personally tested and approved by the Editor/Publisher of Roads to the Great War.
1 cup each of rolled oats, sugar and coconut
1 tablespoon Lyle's Golden Syrup
3/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water)
Method
Melt butter.
Add syrup to dissolved soda and water. Combine with melted butter.
Mix dry ingredients and stir in liquid.
Place small balls on a buttered tray and bake in moderate oven.
Lift out carefully with a knife as they are soft till cold.
Source: Australian War Memorial Website
yum!
ReplyDeleteThe British hard tack biscuits were hard as nails way back in the 50s even when soaked in hot tea, never found anything like them on the civilian market.
ReplyDeleteIs the "syrup" Lyle's Golden Syrup or some other kind of inverted sugar syrup?
ReplyDeleteYes, thanks for the reminder. We have updated the entry.
DeleteMike
I've had Lyle's syrup in the green and gold can (tin); while it tastes sweet and quite pleasant, you know it is pretty heavy duty and don't even want to know the calorie count.
DeleteIs there a US distributor for Lyle's syrup?
ReplyDeleteWal Mart via their website.
DeleteIt's surely is not a problem to find here in stores, so I assume it is going through a distributor(s). How many truckloads do you need?
ReplyDeleteMost well-stocked grocery stores probably carry Lyle's Golden Syrup in the same aisle as the maple and corn syrups...?. I know Gelson's where I am in Southern California carries it. You can purchase it through amazon.com, too.
ReplyDeleteIt's also a staple at British import stores, if you live in an area large enough to have one of those.
A little goes a long way; you won't need more than a can (tin) for quite a few batches of Anzac Biscuits!
My dad likes it as an ice cream and hot oatmeal topping. But he has an exceptionally sweet tooth!