Recipes from professional Chef Tallyrand:

ANZAC BISCUITS

Lest we forget . . . . .

While it might be the day of the national Saint of England this week: St. George’s Day, there is also a big day here in New Zealand; April 25th is a national holiday of remembrance: ANZAC day. A day when we remember the ‘fallen’ ANZAC’s: Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. You might have seen the Mel Gibson movie ‘Gallipolli’? Dawn parades, poppies worn and nothing opens until mid-day here in New Zealand on the 25th as a mark of respect for all those that gave their lives on the battlefields then and since.

My recipe this week therefore is a simple one, one of remembrance, one of respect, it is for ANZAC biscuits. These biscuits are named after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and are a long tradition in New Zealand and in Australia. It is said they were made originally from an old recipe and re-named to send overseas to the Armed Forces during the First World War to remind them of home.

While they are now commercially made by the big biscuit companies and small bakeries alike, they are still of course best home baked, but is that not so for most things? They are often made and used as a fund raiser for charities here. But whether for home, for the kids to take to school etc I am sure you will love these biscuits or cookies as our USA friends will call them. The recipe is good one for getting the kids involved in the kitchen, as long as you do the initial stages that requires heat . . . the rest is child’s play, as they say

I have given you all three versions of measurements this week, but remember if you want to convert other recipes, email me <click here> and I will send you my Microsoft Excel sheet that will convert measurements for you: metric to imperial to metric, metric to American and even Fahrenheit to Celsius.

Ingredients for Anzac Biscuits

	Metric		Imperial		American
butter (melted)	100	gm	4	oz	1/2	cup
golden syrup	15	ml	1	tbs	1	tbs
baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)	5	ml	1	tsp	1	tsp
boiling water	30	ml	2	tbs	2	tbs
flour	100	gm	4	oz	1	cup
caster or soft brown sugar	150	gm	6	oz	1	cup
desicated coconut	150	gm	6	oz	1	cup
rolled oats	150	gm	6	oz	1	cup
ground ginger	5	ml	1	tsp	1	tsp

How to make Anzac Biscuits

1. Melt the butter and golden syrup together
2. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and add to butter and golden syrup
3. Mix together flour, sugar, coconut, rolled oats and ginger, make a well in the centre of the flour, stir in the liquid
4. Combine until thoroughly mixed
5. Place spoonfuls onto a greased tray, flatten slightly and bake on the middle shelf at 160°C for approx. 18 minutes until golden brown and crispy

Chef's Tip for Anzac Biscuits:

When removing spoonfuls of honey, syrup or treacle, heat the spoon up first in hot water, the honey etc will just slip straight off it

While not traditional; I love being decadent and coating or streaking them with chocolate . . . go on treat yourself . . . you know you deserve it!

Enjoy and bon appetit . . . . .

Published 22 April 2002