THE ULTIMATE ANZAC SNACK

While making multiple batches of this southern hemisphere classic a new appreciation for the women of wartime has definitely arisen…

ANZAC biscuits can be a tasty treat, at least thats what I’ve been telling myself for the past week while recipe testing multiple variations of the wartime classic. My delightful family have been kindly eating oat biscuits daily while critiquing the list of ingredients and rating the overall texture and taste of my ongoing efforts.

The Aussie staple are definitely a symbol of the resilience and resourcefulness of Australian and New Zealand women during times of war. In fact, the origins of ANZAC biscuits can be traced back to World War I, when women at home were doing their part to support their loved ones abroad.

As a long time critic of war in general I can truly empathise the need for women to care for the men and boys during awful times. And so often when we are at a loss of what to do - those of us who love to cook - turn to baking for warmth and sustenance.

During the war, the wives and mothers of soldiers would often send care packages to the front lines. These packages contained a variety of things, including food, clothing, and personal items. However, because of the long shipping times and limited resources available, the food had to be shelf-stable and able to withstand the journey. This is where ANZAC biscuits came to fruition.

ANZAC biscuits were a popular choice for care packages because they were easy to make, could be stored for long periods of time, and were a comforting reminder of home. The biscuits were made with simple (and cost effective) ingredients that were readily available, such as rolled oats, flour, sugar, butter, golden syrup, and baking soda. The recipe was adaptable, allowing women to make substitutions based on what they had on hand.

Not only were ANZAC biscuits a practical choice for care packages, but they also served a larger purpose. Women at home were actively fundraising for the war effort ~ selling ANZAC biscuits was one way to do so. In some cases, women's groups would organise large-scale baking events and sell the biscuits together to raise money. This allowed women to contribute to the war effort in a tangible way, even if they were unable or disallowed to serve in the military themselves.

The role of women in wartime is often overlooked, but ANZAC biscuits serve as a reminder of their important contributions. They also hold historical and cultural significance; by baking and selling these biscuits, women were able to support the war effort both financially and emotionally. The act of sending care packages and including home-baked goods was a way to show love and support for their husbands, sons, and brothers who were serving overseas. Thinking about the reality for families during war is just heartbreaking and has given me a new appreciation of baking for joy rather than baking for necessity and survival.

My own experiments with creating an ANZAC style biscuit included removing the sugar from the traditional recipe ~ this had varying success, I couldn’t accurately create a chewy style biscuit without the sugar element. As a result, most of my batches were more of a toasted crunchy style oat cookie. I also experimented with extra ingredients such as peanut butter, chai seeds, sunflower seeds and dates. All with the intention of making a sustaining biscuit, thus keeping with the original ANZAC theme. As my frustration with the results continued I resorted to creating an oat based bliss ball but I messed up the quantities and it was too moist, ironically.

So in a last attempt to create a nourishing oat recipe for ANZAC weekend I combined the elements of my crumbly cookies with the delicious nutty bliss balls and voila! An ANZAC inspired Nourishing Ball recipe just in time for the holiday. Alas my biscuit and cookie skills need attending to and I will have to head back to the drawing board, so for now enjoy this nourishing recipe, below.

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ANZAC Inspo Nourishing Balls

INGREDIENTS:

1 & 1/2 cup Rolled Oats

1 & 1/2 cup Oatmeal

1'/2 cup Desiccated Coconut

1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds

1/2 cup roughly chopped Dried Dates

1/2 cup Melted Butter

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

1-2 tablespoons Hulled Tahini

4 tablespoon Hot Water

Makes 12-16 bliss balls

METHOD:

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Melt the butter, set aside to cool. When warm add maple syrup and combine.

In a large bowl add the rolled oats and sunflower seeds to the maple and butter mixture. cover the seeds and oats well.

Prepare a tray for browning the oats and seeds. Cover a tray with baking paper or utilse a non stick tray if thats your go-to option.

Pop a fine layer of seeds and oats on the prepared tray. Pop in oven to brown well (10-15mins on a timer).

While the oats & seeds are in the oven - in a bowl combine the oat meal with the 4 tablespoons of hot water, mix well by hand and set aside.

Once the oats and sunflower seeds are golden and crispy set aside to cool.

When Oat and sunflower mixture is cool add into the food processor all the ingredients - including the soaked oatmeal - and blend well. SEE NOTES

NOTES:

Start with one tablespoon of tahini and add up to two tablespoons as required to make a sticky mixture to roll.
If you prefer a rustic version then the ingredients can easily be combined in a mixing bowl. Ensure the dates are chopped finely in advance if you prefer this option.

Forming balls add them to large container side-by-side or on a tray to set in the fridge. These will set in 1-2 hours.

Enjoy!