Keeping the Flag Flying...

Keeping the Flag Flying...

Thursday 22 April 2010

ANZAC Day in Athens...and ANZAC Biscuits!

Athens put on it's best weather for ANZAC Day last year! We had all gathered at the Alimos Commonwealth War Cemetery to take part in the annual ANZAC Day celebrations, a very moving experience for all concerned.

After the ANZAC Day ceremony in Athens, we (my 9 year-old Anastasia and I) decided to make a batch of Allyson Gofton's Anzac Biscuits.... I had written the post but forgotten to post...sorry for the delay, but it's just in time for this year. See you all on Sunday!

"My Dad was a 'Digger' and proud of it, and the one thing that best recalls that time when we all pulled together is the Anzac biscuit, created with love by mums and daughters to send to their sons and fathers at the Front."  - Allyson Gofton

A good friend from Wellington sent me the recipe just for the occasion! Thanks Gina - they are as good as we remember them...even without Golden Syrup. Incidentally, I have yet to find the equivalent in Greece...I used honey, but any suggestions welcome!

This recipe makes about 36. Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 12-15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup flour,
1 cup sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
175 grams butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon baking soda,
2 tablespoons boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly grease 1 or 2 baking trays or line with baking paper. In a large bowl, sift flour with a good pinch of salt. Stir in the sugar, rolled oats and coconut and make a well in the centre.

In a saucepan, melt the butter, golden syrup and vanilla essence
together.

Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water. Mix into the melted butter and quickly pour into the well. Mix all ingredients together quickly. Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on the prepared trays. Flatten with the tines of a floured fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the biscuits have flattened out and have become a reddish-brown colour. Transfer to a cake rack. They will crispen as they cool. Store in an airtight container.

To make chocolate Anzacs, melt 150 grams dark chocolate either in the microwave or over the top of a double saucepan. Dip half an Anzac into the melted chocolate and allow the excess to fall off.

Place on a baking paper-lined tray and allow the chocolate to set before storing in an airtight container.

2 comments:

Maria Verivaki said...

thanks to globalisation, golden syrup is now available (tate and lyle's brand) in vasilopoulos

Anonymous said...

Hello, hi there, I was just thinking that, instead of golden syrup, just do as I have often been doing of late, and melt some white sugar in a frying pan, until it melts, and then let this melted syrup turn a honey gold - at this point pour in some water, then simmer down to desired thickness. And there you have it - economical golden syrup - except technically it is really actually a thick caramel syrup - ideal for other recipes which require a caramel flavouring added to them. For a more cane-suugary golden syrup flavour, try adding a tsp or so of treacle, and maybe even a little bicarb soda (I seem to recall I may have added this once, and perhaps too, cream of tartar)...

Best of luck from

an Australasian