Anzac Biscuits Recipe

Have you ever tried Anzac bikkies? I visited Australia many times, but had never tried these biscuits that are so popular Down Under. 

Last Christmas, Kate, a dear friend from New Zealand, presented us with a box of this delicacy. Delicious they were! We devoured them in no time and felt we needed more. My husband James decided to try out the recipe and bake his own since we could not impose on Kate for the immediate supply. He did some research and decided, that a recipe from Australian magazine Taste was the best. He got all the ingredients and set out to work on the Dark & Crunchy version. His cookies turned out magnificent! Kate still has to try them, but we are both quite confident that his bikkies are perfect. Here is the recipe. It makes two dozen delicious Anzac biscuits.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour (150g)
• 1 cup rolled oats (90g)
• 1 cup desiccated, non-sweeten coconut flakes (85g)
• 3/4 firmly packed brown sugar (155g)
• 1 stick butter or 1/2 unsalted butter (125g)
• 2 Tbsp Golden Syrup
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Method:

• Line out two baking sheets (pans) with parchment.
• Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C).
• Toss flour, oats, coconut flakes, and brown sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir well until all ingredients are well combined. 
• In a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add Golden Syrup and water, and mix well until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add baking soda and mix again. It will foam.
• Transfer the melted butter mixture into your mixing bowl. Mix well until you get a nicely firm dough.  
• Using a 1 1/2 inch cookie dough scoop, portion out the dough. Pack the dough tightly. Drop each cookie dough ball on a parchment and flatten it into a round cookie a little less than 0,4" thick (about 1cm) leaving about 2 inches (5cm) wide space between each cookie. The cookies will rise and expand during baking.
• Bake for 18 minutes at 320°F (160°C).
• Once bikkies are nicely golden, remove baking sheets from the oven and set them aside for 10 minutes, before you transfer them onto wired cooling racks. Allow to cool completely. 
• Once you bikkies have cooled off, enjoy them in good company!

Tip: James is a very practical man. He used his super cool Kitchenaid stand mixer and there is no reason you shouldn't too, if you own one.

To people in Australia and New Zealand Anzac biscuits have a very special meaning. They are associated with the Australian And New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) formed in World War I. Women groups and wives of the deployed men baked the cookies and sent them to ANZAC troops. The cookies were perfect because they did not spoil and kept well during the ocean journey that had to make.

In 1917 an Anzac Biscuits recipe appeared in "War Chest Cookery Book" that was published in Sydney, Australia. The published recipe, however, was different form the one used today. The prototype was known as a Rolled Oates Biscuit and was named an Anzac Biscuit sometime around 1921. Because of their historical connection to the ANZAC forces and ANZAC Day, these cookies are still used to raise funds for the veterans in New Zealand and Australia.

"These biscuits pay homage to our troops that died in World War 1, a war where we we were sent to the slaughter. Keep the honor of the thousand of dead troops alive by not messing with the recipe !!!" - Kirk Muddle in a comment on the recipe published online by Taste magazine.

Substitutes do not always work. For instance, the golden agave syrup is not the Golden Syrup you need for this recipe. It has a very different consistency, viscosity, and taste.  If you want to make cookies that taste like the original ones, you have to use the right ingredients. They are easily obtainable in specialized stores or online. If you do not quite know how the cookies are supposed to look and taste, you can always order a box. Once you tasted them, you can bake your own without a fear of spoiling the recipe.

By Dominique Allmon

 
Dominique Allmon©2018

Memory Of The Heart

Gratitude is the 

memory 

of the heart. 

-

Jean-Baptiste Massieu 

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Image: Memory of the Heart by Dominique Allmon©2017

Steamed Artichokes

Unlike most vegetables, artichokes are neither fruit, nor bulb, nor root. They are actually flower buds of a perennial thistle plant from the Asteraceae family, commonly known as the sunflower family.

Artichokes and cardoons were two edible thistle plants well known in Antiquity. They were also mentioned as garden plants by Hesiod and Homer in the 8th century B.C. The plant occurred naturally in its wild state throughout the Mediterranean region and was cultivated and used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Pliny the Elder mentioned the cultivation of cardoons in 1st century A.D. in Andalusia, Spain. A 1st century Roman gourmet Marcus Gavius Apicius even left a few cardoon recipes for posterity. 

After the fall of Roman Empire artichokes seem to have disappeared from the menus. They were known in 10th century Spain and were re-introduced to Italy from Levant in the late 15th century. The cultivation spread from Sicily to Italy and to Languedoc, Southern France. The Dutch introduced artichokes to England. They were cultivated in the gardens of Henry VIII. European settlers introduced artichokes to the United States sometime in the 19th century: the French to Louisiana; the Spaniards to California.

Already ancient Egyptians and Romans considered artichokes a delicacy. In 18th century France artichokes were believed to be aphrodisiacs and were reserved for the nobles. Today, artichokes are accessible to all for the most part of the year. They are rather easy to prepare, quite delicious, and very good for the body. The simplest way to enjoy them is to steam them. 

In my recipe I used young, middle sized artichokes of the Romanesco variety. When planning a menu, calculate at least 30 minutes for preparation and steaming. Depending on the size you may need more time till the artichokes become tender. Smaller and younger artichokes cook faster. They are great as an appetizer and best served warm or in room temperature with melted butter, vinaigrette, sauce Hollandaise, or a variety of dips such as aioli.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 medium large artichokes per person
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1Tbsp Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 lemon for rubbing

Method:

• To prepare artichokes for steaming, start with pulling off the outermost tough, dried bracts from the stem, usually two to three layers. 
• Using a sharp knife trim the stems and cut off the top of each bud, about 1/5 to 1 inch, depending on the size of your artichokes. Rub the cut surfaces with lemon to prevent discoloration.
• Using sharp scissors or kitchen shears, trim each bract about 1/4 inch to remove the thorny tips. Remember to rub lemon juice on the cut surfaces. 
• Fill a large pot with enough water so that it almost touches the steamer basket. Add lemon slices and salt and bring the water to boil. Place prepared artichokes, stem side up, in the steamer basket. Place the basket in the pot. Cover the pot and steam for 30 minutes. If necessary, add more water. 
• To check if artichokes are tender and ready to eat, inset a paring knife into the stem. Steam a little longer if necessary. 
• Place fully cooked artichokes on a platter or on individual plates and serve with a dip of your choice. Enjoy in good company!

Artichokes have many health benefits. They are rich in nutrients such as calcium, iron, and potassium; vitamins A, B, especially folate, and K; and antioxidant nutrients such as anthocyanins, quercetin, and rutin; and fiber. They contain compounds called cynarin and silymarin which have shown to assist the liver. Cynarin increases production of bile and helps ease the digestion of food and prevents bloating. Silymarin promotes regeneration of liver cells and inhibits fibrogenesis in the liver. Overall, artichokes are known to reduce blood pressure, improve liver health, control blood cholesterol, and improve digestion. Use them as often as you can to profit from their health benefits.

Dominique Allmon

 
Images by Dominique Allmon©2017

*Health information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.