Anzac Dainties
- This recipe was extracted from The South Australian Country Women`s Association's Calendar of Cakes - A cake a day for 365 days. Published in 1965, 10th edition reprinted in 1969.
- Extract kindly shared with The Senior courtesy The South Australian Country Women`s Assoc Inc
Ingredients
- One cup each of plain flour, sugar, rolled oats and coconut
- 4 oz (112 grams) of butter
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 1 large tablespoon of golden syrup (or treacle)
- 1 small teaspoon of bicarb soda
- Add nuts if liked
- No eggs required
Method
Mix the flour, sugar, rolled oats and coconuts together, then set aside.
Add the butter, water, and golden syrup into a saucepan, and bring the mixture to the boil. Then, stir in the bicarb soda.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture in a bowl, stirring thoroughly.
Place teaspoon-sized balls onto a greased tray and bake in a moderate oven for 10 minutes, or until the biscuits are firm and crisp.
Once baked, take the tray out of the oven and allow the biscuits to cool, before removing them.
Where did Anzac Biscuits come from?
According to the Australian War Memorial, the biscuit people are familiar with is a sweet biscuit made with rolled oats and golden syrup.
Where they came from is unknown, but Australian recipe books from the 1920s onwards had variations of biscuits made with oats bound by golden syrup instead of eggs.
They are different to the hardtack biscuits soldiers ate as a substitute for bread as they don't go mouldy. These biscuits are sometimes called Anzac tiles or Anzac wafer biscuits because they were eaten during World War I, but there is no association to the Anzac biscuits we know today.
About the Country Women's Association
Arguably better known for its acronym, CWA, the association works to make life better for regional and rural women and children.
According to the National Archive of Australia, the first CWA group formed in 1922 in New South Wales before branches had spread across the country by the 1930s.
Each association representing a state or territory advocates on the issues important to its members. Clubs may collectively work on different events including cooking, handicraft, teaching skills to others and fundraising for their local communities. A national overarching body disbanded in 2022.
Find your state or territory branch below.
