What's Cooking: Anzacs for my Anzac

So I have packed up another care package for my husband.....this is third batch of Anzac biscuits I have sent him since he went away.

Anzac Biscuits are synonymous with military service here. In the first world war Australians and New Zealanders would bake these biscuits to send to their loved ones on the frontline. Given the long distance the biscuits had to travel they needed to be sturdy, and retain their freshness! Actually, though, they are best consumed fresh from the oven with a cold glass of milk.

These biscuits will be exposed to extreme heat before they get to my husband - it is 50C where he is. Also, given the vagaries of the Australian Forces Postal Service it could take anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks for this package to reach him.

I hope he knows I am thinking of him here when he opens it.

And for anyone who might be inclined to try to make Australia's favourite biscuit, here is the recipe I use. It is not exactly traditional - the cinnamon wasn't in it in the old days. This is a really easy recipe for kids to be involved with too.

Cinnamon Anzac Biscuits

Makes about 40

Ingredients
150g (1 cup) plain flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

125g (1 1/3 cups) rolled oats
85g (1 cup) desiccated coconut

115g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
55g (1/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

125g butter, cubed
60ml (1/4 cup) golden syrup

2 tbs water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

Preheat oven to 150C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Sift together the flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the rolled oats,coconut, caster sugar and brown sugar, and mix well.

Combine the butter, golden syrup and water in a small saucepan, and stirover medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture is well combined. Remove from heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Add immediately tothe dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to stir until well combined.

Roll walnut-sized portions of mixture into balls and place on the lined trayabout 5cm apart. Use your fingers to flatten each slightly (until they areabout 1cm thick) and bake in preheated oven for 18 minutes for crisp on theoutside and chewy in the centre. Remove from oven and set aside for 5 minutesto cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.