Today marks Anzac Day which if you don’t know is one of Australia’s most important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. Although my kids have been born & bred in London, it’s important to me that they’re aware of Australian history and we always pay our respects to our fallen soldiers. And what better way than through food, right? Anzac biscuits, it has been claimed, were sent by wives to nourish the soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation. Traditionally they were made with golden syrup, sugar and butter, but I’ve adapted this to using healthier more nutritious ingredients and these beauties are dairy and gluten free.
I use Blackstrap molasses in this recipe because it's a powerhouse of nutrition- it’s sticky pure cane that has low levels of sugar content & 1 tbspn contains up to 20% of the recommended daily value of B vits, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and potassium. Who knew?! Even if you’re not Aussie or Kiwi, I’m sure you will want to claim these as your own...
Ingredients (makes about 18 biscuits):
1 1/2 cup rolled oats (170 grams - gluten free optional)
1/2 cup (90 grams) dessicated coconut
1 tspn bicarb soda
2 1/2 tablespoons melted raw organic virgin coconut oil or if you prefer, use 100 g melted butter
1 handful flaked almonds
1/2 cup (90 grams) ground almonds
1 tablespoon molasses (this gives it the dark rich colour, but if you prefer your biscuits the traditional golden colour, use 1 tbspn pure maple syrup instead)
1/4 cup (45 grams) rapadura or coconut sugar
2 tablespoons filtered water
Pinch sea salt or himalayan pink salt
Method:
Preheat your oven to 160 degrees celcius (140 for fan assisted) and prepare a baking tray with parchment paper. Place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl & combine very well. Make a well & add the wet ingredients then combine well. Add a touch more water or ground almonds if needed to bind the mixture - it should be a sticky goo. Spoon out heaped teaspoons of mixture and form little flattened balls & place on the baking tray. Leave enough space eitherside for the biscuits to expand. Put in the middle of the oven and bake for 14 mins or so, until golden brown. Take the tray out & let cool for 10 mins then finish off the cooling on a wire rack for another few minutes. This is so important as they continue to harden after you take them out - so give it a minute before you dive in! Store in an air tight container and enjoy....