ANZAC BISCUITS

The Battle of Gallipoli, which took place on 25 April 1915, resulted in a loss of 10,000 lives in the Australia & New Zealand Corps (ANZAC) ranks. As expected, the sacrifice was keenly felt in Australia & New Zealand and the campaign is still thought of as the historic event that shaped the national identity of both Australians & New Zealanders although there has been some controversy about this in more recent years. During the First World War 'campaign of Gallipoli', ANZAC soldiers had rations of biscuit that was manufactured at home and sent overseas. This was a kind of hardtack, partly made of brown flour and with little or no sugar, like the wholesome but flavorless double-baked goods which have sustained travellers of every description for centuries.

The original hardtack recipe already existed when the campaign was launched but, during the 1920s and/or 1930s, Australia & New Zealand press featured recipes of so-called ANZAC biscuits that used rolled oats and coconut. Although these newer versions prevailed, instructions for making the hardtack can be found on the website of the Australian War Memorial - alongside recipes for the more exotic biscuit.

 

Anzac, the Landing 1915 by George Lambert (1920-1922)

 

There is probably none more qualified to re-create the original ANZAC biscuit than Arnott's (biscuit manufacturer in Australia & New Zealand since 1827) but if ANZAC rations were truly supplied by the soldiers' wives and girlfriends the recipes would have been many and probably found in popular cookbooks. Having limited access to other than English/American cookbooks, I picked up two biscuit recipes by A.C. Vangalder. Her best-selling Modern Women of America Cookbook was published in 1913 and is a collection of recipes supplied by home bakers: 

"BAKING POWDER BISCUIT. Two cupfuls flour, one tablespoonful salt, three-quarters cupful milk, two tablespoonfuls lard, four teaspoonfuls baking powder. Mix with fork to give lightness. Spead out and cut. - Mrs. Orpha E. Johnston, Richmond, O.

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS. Two cupfuls flour, one cupful milk, two teaspoonfuls baking powder, two tablespoonfuls lard, one-half teaspoonful salt. - Mrs. Thos. Mather, Redfield, S.D."

A tea biscuit recipe from A.C. Vangalder's collection used a little bit of sugar but less than in the ANZAC tile/wafer recipe the historic Arnott's biscuit manufacturers shared via the Australian War Memorial. The really sweet version is the newer ANZAC biscuit: a three-cup flour dose was changed into a recipe using flour, rolled oats and cononut in equal parts (i.e. one cupful each) with 1/2 - 1 cup added sugar. The mixture was stabilized with 1-2tbsp of golden syrup, resulting in a biscuit that had little or nothing in common with the hardtack that was actually shipped to Gallipoli. The cookie batter in the newer versions was also leavened with baking soda rather than baking powder.

 

ANZAC BISCUITS, TWO WAYS

For the hardtack version, I used a combination of A.C. Vangalder's hardtack recipes with a little bit of added sugar. Lard is hardly available in my kitchen so I replaced it with butter. For the newer version, I created a recipe from scratch in order to avoid golden syrup and baking soda - both of which I find unhealthy/unsavoury. I used my favorite organic apple syrup but coconut sugar is a nice alternative, yielding a drop cookie that is suitably dry and flavorsome.

 

 

Version 1 - the hardtack

I n g r e d i e n t s

500g flour

4tsp baking powder

350ml milk

60g melted butter

90g sugar (or less)

a pinch of salt

 

M e t h o d

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Whisk the milk, butter and sugar in another. Combine the mixtures. Spread dough on 1-2 baking trays lined with parchment paper - using the back of a wet spoon or a floured pizza roller. Divide into squares with a knife and prick each square with a fork. Bake at 200oC for 30 minutes, then leave in a cooling oven for several hours.

 

N o t e s

1) Use 3 cups wholewheat and 1 cup plain flour. 2) Optionally glaze the dough with 2-3tbsp caster sugar.

 

 

 

Version 2 - the drop cookie

I n g r e d i e n t s

200g plain flour 

200g rolled oats

200g shredded coconut

2tsp baking powder

200ml apple syrup (or 200g coconut sugar)

200g neutral oil

 

M e t h o d

Stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk the liquid ingredients in another. Combine the mixtures into a batter. Using a 15ml measuring spoon and your ordinary tablespoon (or knife),  drop spoonfuls on 1-2 baking trays lined with parchment paper. Bake, separately, for 20 minutes at 180oC. Leave to cool on wire racks.

 

N o t e s

1) Honey yields chewy biscuits so take care if you want to replace apple syrup. At best, combine 1 part honey with 2 parts sugar that you will boil together for 3 minutes and leave to cool before using. 2) Substitute melted butter if you will but the combination of honey, sugar and neutral oil guarantees a texture which is close to what you achieve by using golden syrup.