Why is anzac biscuits

Reynolds wrote the book on the biscuits: Anzac Biscuits — The Power and Spirit of an Everyday National Icon , which explains that the definitive history is shared.

While New Zealand may have the first published recipe in a cookery book, recipes often take a few years to filter into published books.

Because the recipe has changed so many times, Reynolds cannot say exactly when the first first Anzac recipe — as we know it today — was published. But it was probably about , making the biscuit years old this year. This is what separated the Anzac biscuit from the others: it was a recipe without eggs, that used the melting method, and where the mixture was shaped into balls before baking, instead of being rolled out and cut.

Keeping qualities were particularly important at the time, because Anzac biscuits were originally featured in care packages sent to soldiers during WW1. When most people are asked to name iconic Australian and New Zealand foods, they head straight for the Tim Tams , Vegemite, pavlova , or meat pie with tomato sauce. But the food that these nations most proudly boast is one that you may have never heard of: the Anzac biscuit.

While made with simple ingredients, Anzac biscuits are a symbol of national pride and great cultural significance—each bite embodies more than years of history and connects many Australians and New Zealanders to their childhood and the past.

There are endless variations of the original recipe, dating back to their creation during World War I. Whether they are chewy or crunchy, thick or thin, baked with or without coconut, they all share the deep golden color and distinct and quite frankly, irresistible caramelized flavor of golden syrup , a viscous, sticky amber-colored syrup that holds the Guinness World Record for having the oldest branding and packaging in the world.

Today, they are an everyday sweet for Aussies and Kiwis. Making the biscuit is a common childhood activity—butter and golden syrup are melted and mixed with oats, coconut, flour, baking soda, and sugar, and then rolled into balls and baked.

Get my Anzac biscuit recipe right here! Although the original recipe evolved over time, the biscuits were made of essential pantry ingredients. And because they were bound by golden syrup, rather than eggs which were scarce, as poultry farmers left to fight overseas , they were hardy enough to survive the two- to three-month journey to soldiers.

The sweet versions can be served plain, topped with decorations, or used to sandwich a cream or jam filling. Skip to main content. Join thousands of home cooks and collect recipes you'll not only love, but are sure to make over and over again! Organise favourites, set reminders to shop, create and share your own eBooks with a free membership!