Recipe: Anzac Biscuits

As today, Monday 25th April, marks ANZAC Day I thought I'd show you how to make some delicious (and very easy to bake) biscuits. And a New Zealander friend of mine sent me the cutest gift of these fridge magnets, and now seemed like the perfect time to try out the biscuit recipe!

 Anzac Day commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders killed in war and honours returned servicemen and women. The date itself marks the anniversary of the landing of New Zealand and Australian soldiers on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps.

The history of these lovely oaty bisciuts is a little hazy; some people say they were sent to the soldiers overseas, some say they were sold back in New Zealand and Australia to raise money for the war effort. However they ended up coming into existence, Anzac biscuits are a delicious morsel to enjoy with a cup of tea and a way to commemorate Anzac Day.


Ingredients:

100g plain flour
100g caster sugar
85g porridge oats
85g desiccated coconut
100g butter
1tbsp golden syrup
2tbsp boiling water
1tsp bicarbonate of soda


Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180C or 170C for fan ovens and line two baking trays with greaseproof/baking paper.

2. Mix the oats, flour, sugar and coconut together in a big bowl; creating a well at the centre.

3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat and add the golden syrup.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water and stir.

5. Add this watery mix to the saucepan of melted butter and syrup. Combine and watch an amazing reaction happen (spoiler alert: be prepared for froth)!

6. Pour the frothy mixture into the well of your oaty mix and stir thoroughly to coat the dry ingredients.

7. Now time to get a little messy! Roll a spoonful of the mix in your hands and place on the baking trays. Keep going until all the mix is used. Be careful to leave a little room between each, to allow them to flatten once heated.

8. Pop the trays in the oven for 10 minutes until golden. Once they are done remove and place the biscuits on a wire rack to cool.

Do not be alarmed if they are very fluffy and squidgy when they come out of the oven - they crisp up nicely once they've cooled. There's no need, like I did, to panic and text your Kiwi baker pal and sound like the child from Despicable Me - "IT'S SO FLUFFY". What can I say, I take cooking seriously...

Share, enjoy and savour their oaty, coconuty deliciousness (in moderation, if you can resist).

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A Healthy Start to the Day - Breakfast Granola/Muesli Recipe

I adapted this recipe by merging a few different ones I found online at a time when I needed a muesli-like breakfast whilst knowing that I’m not a fan of normal mueslis and this is what I came up with. This recipe is great if you want to try out an easy recipe at home that doesn’t require too much time and energy spent on it. This cereal is healthy, sustaining and delicious and ingredients can be swapped if you have a particular aversion to any of them or a hankering for something else. This granola is also great for mid-afternoon snacks instead of crisps or biscuits.

My very delicious morning bowl of cereal!

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps. rapeseed oil
• 125ml agave syrup
• 2 tsps. vanilla extract
• 300g porridge oats
• 50g sunflower seeds
• 4 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 50g pumpkin seeds
• 100g flaked almonds
• 100g dried berries (as sugar and preservative free as possible)
• 50g desiccated coconut

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 150 C if you have a fan oven or 160 C if you don’t.
2. Mix the oil, agave syrup and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, omitting the dried fruit and coconut, and mix together well making sure that the mixture is fully coated in the syrup etc.
3. Tip the granola onto two baking sheets (this is important so that the cereal mix can get nice and brown and crunchy) and spread evenly.
4. Bake for 15 mins, then mix in the coconut and dried fruit, and bake for 10-15 mins more.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.

This mixture should last well for up to a month. It is yummy with milk or natural bio live yoghurt and can be mixed with fresh fruit for extra flavour and benefits.