ANZAC Day Baking

Today was ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand. I didn't do much to commemorate the day like we did last year,. You can read about that here.

My one nod to the day was whipping up a batch of ANZAC biscuits, or at least a close approximation. ANZAC biscuits are a popular cookie (in American parlance) that are presumed to have originated during WWI when eggs were scarce and, also, these bikkies traveled well to the soldiers overseas. A classic recipe includes oats, flour, coconut, sugar, butter, golden syrup, and baking soda (bi-carbonate of soda, as it is known in Oz). I was inspired by this healthier recipe, but then I altered it a bit further based on what I had in the kitchen.

I didn't have any coconut sugar, as called for in the healthy version; I just used regular sugar, but I think the coconut sugar would be delicious. I also, sadly, had to replace real butter with olive oil spread because I'm doing a no dairy experiment for Hushpuppy's benefit, at the moment. 

This is pretty much as easy as it gets in terms of baking projects. Combine the dry ingredients (except for the baking soda). Mix together the butter and syrup in a skillet.

"Butter" and syrup in a skillet.
This is what Paula Dean dreams about, only hers is actual butter, not olive oil spread.

Mix the baking soda with a bit of boiling water and add to the skillet. Combine with the dry ingredients.

It is a very dry batter since there are no eggs. I felt like I needed to mix it by hand after a few stirs.

Pop in the oven on 170 C for 15 minutes.

On their way into the oven.

Finished product.

Despite all my modifications, these came out really well. Obviously, they would have been much better, and probably a fair bit crunchier, with real butter, but still good. I always think of them as sort of an old fashioned cookie in that simple, classic baking style - an unfussy biscuit (not a cookie!) that's hard to go wrong with.