Anzac biscuits have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War I. It has been claimed that these biscuits were sent by wives and women's groups to soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation.
Although it's a myth that Anzac biscuits were sent and eaten by troops in Gallipoli, some evidence suggests a rolled oats based biscuit was sent to troops on the Western Front, although this is not widespread.
Bully beef (tinned corned beef), rice, jam, cocoa, tea, some bread and above all hard tack fed the Australian soldiers at Gallipoli. Hard tack, also known as "ANZAC Wafer", or "ANZAC Tile", has a very long shelf life, unlike bread. Hard tack or biscuits continued to be eaten during the Second World War.
Keeping qualities were particularly important at the time, because Anzac biscuits were originally featured in care packages sent to soldiers during WW1.
It's thought that Anzac biscuits were created as far back as World War 1. At this time, the biscuits were being baked by volunteers sold in Australia and New Zealand to raise funds for the army. A similar type of biscuit was sent to the soldiers in war.
So, not only are these biscuits named in honour of a group of soldiers that helped form the national spirit of two countries, they've also become an indelible part of early life for many Australian and New Zealand bakers.
According to taste.com.au Food Editor Miranda Payne, the traditional Anzac biscuit was the harder, crunchy version. Over time, the original recipe was modified with variations being cooked for less time (making them chewier) or adding more sugar (so they're super crispy).
At first the biscuits were called Soldiers' Biscuits, but after the landing on Gallipoli, they were renamed ANZAC Biscuits. A point of interest is the lack of eggs to bind the ANZAC biscuit mixture together. Because of the war, many of the poultry farmers had joined the services, thus eggs were scarce.
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces became known as ANZACs. Anzac Day is a commemoration of the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli, Turkey on 25 April in 1915.
While Anzac biscuits do incorporate ingredients like oats and (optionally) coconut and can be soft and chewy or crunchy with a pronounced snap, the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA), part of the Australian federal government, has declared that calling an Anzac biscuit a cookie is un-Australian.
The estimate provided by the Australian War Memorial is 8,141 but, as is the case with virtually all casualty figures, this number has varied somewhat over the years and slightly different figures are cited in other sources.
Rum and milk was the beverage provided to soldiers at first light in preparation for battle. It was customary to add a tipple of rum to their cup of breakfast milk to help the soldiers shake off some nerves, or as one veteran digger put it, “give 'em a touch of courage”.
A troop is a squad or team of soldiers. Your great grandfather might claim that his was the first army troop to march into France during World War II. Though it's correct to use the noun troop in the singular form, it's more common to see its plural, troops.
This iconic flavour actually tells us a lot about when they were first made in 1915 during World War I. Australian and New Zealand women used golden syrup to bind the biscuits — not eggs — so that the biscuits could survive the two- to three-month trip to troops in France.
It has a rich, warm toffee-like flavour and is a common baking ingredient in Australia and New Zealand. In this recipe, golden syrup gives the biscuits their signature butterscotch flavour and also helps to bind the biscuits, in place of eggs. And it is a key ingredient in traditional ANZAC biscuits.
After New Zealanders objected to the colonial catch-all of 'Australasia', the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps became the official name, quickly shortened to ANZAC. But their informal name was the Diggers. The first specialised use of digger in Australian English dates back to the 1850s gold rush in Victoria.
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was originally a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign.
'Digger' was a colloquial name applied to Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) personnel that developed during the war (although the term was already applied to miners back in Australia and New Zealand).
Soldiers often devised ingenious methods to make them easier to eat. A kind of porridge could be made by grating them and adding water. Or biscuits could be soaked in water and, with jam added, baked over a fire into "jam tarts".
Rosemary is an ancient symbol of fidelity and remembrance. The aromatic herb grows wild on the Gallipoli peninsula in Türkiye, where the original Anzacs served in World War I. Australians traditionally wear sprigs of rosemary as a symbol of remembrance on Anzac Day or Remembrance Day.
Some 8,700 Australians lost their lives and some 18,000 were wounded during the campaign. The most successful operation of the campaign was the evacuation which ended on 19–20 December 1915, conducted under a well-planned deception operation.
Legal issues
The term Anzac is protected under Australian law and cannot be used in Australia without permission from the Minister for Veterans' Affairs; misuse can be legally enforced particularly for commercial purposes.
The use of the word 'Anzac' in the commercial production and sale of Anzac biscuits is usually approved, however the biscuits must not substantially deviate from the generally accepted recipe and shape, and must be referred to as 'Anzac Biscuits' or 'Anzac Slice' (not 'Anzac Cookies').
Ovens set to 350 or even 400 degrees heat too slowly and cause the fat inside the dough to melt before rising to the dough's full potential. Finally, higher heat will generate more caramelization from the butter on top of the biscuits, leaving you with a beautifully golden crust.