Anzac Cookies

Anzac day is big in our home. My husband has been in the Army (Territorials/Reserves) for about 25 years and has just returned from 7 months in South Sudan.
Anzac day for me often signals the first wearing of winter coats and that familiar "I've got up too early and not had enough sleep' feeling.
This year we have a rugby game in the evening which will mean a late night for our little person so the choice had to be made between the Anzac dawn service or a late night at the rugby. The compromise is attending a civil service for Isabella and me and the rugby...John of course will go to the dawn service as well.

I've meant to make Anzac biscuits for Anzac day for years and have come across a recipe from Annabel Langbein which just has to be a good one to try. The anzac biscuits from my childhood have no almonds, raisins or chocolate but they seem like a great addition.

They are really really nice! A great update of a traditional biscuit.


Anzac Cookies

Prep time:

10 mins

Cook time:

15-18 mins

Makes:

About 30 small or 16 large

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup soft brown sugar
• 1 cup thread or desiccated coconut (I used thread and it was great)
• ½ cup slivered almonds (optional)
• ½ cup raisins (optional)
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 125g butter
• 2 tbsp water
• ½ tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 160°C and line at least 2 baking trays with baking paper. 

Combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, coconut and almonds and raisins, if using, in a large bowl. Heat together golden syrup, butter and water until butter melts. Add soda, then mix into dry ingredients until well combined.

Roll mixture into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball and place on prepared trays, allowing room for spreading. Lightly flatten with a fork or damp fingers. Bake until golden (15-18 minutes). Allow to cool on trays (the biscuits will harden on cooling). Stored in an airtight container, Anzac Biscuits will keep for 2 weeks.

Swirl Cookies

While I committed to making Isabella's birthday this year reasonably simple I did want to try a couple of new things. These were one of them. I'd seen them come up on Pintrest from time to time and the seemed straightforward to make...although I had also seen disasters where the colours mixed and the shape distorted.
My 'research' informed me cooling the mixture between stages in the fridge was the answer.
I made the mix days in advance and rolled it up and covered in cling film. I needed to buy more sprinkles because this uses up a lot!
On the day I was ready to bake them, I sliced them and put them on the tray, then put the tray in the fridge for another hour.
All that cooling seems to work as the result was good. Not perfect, but home made never is!



Swirl Cookies

2 cups cake flour

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp raspberry extract 
1/2 tsp turquoise food colour
2 tbsp cake flour
Rainbow jumbo sprinkles

In a food processor combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and icing sugar, pulse to mix. Add the butter slowly, pulsing until combined. Add in the vanilla and process until the mixture forms a ball.

Divide the dough into 2, put one half back into the processor, add the raspberry flavouring and the turquoise food colour and the 2 tablespoons of flour and mix until combined.

Roll out the vanilla dough and the flavoured dough between wax paper, to form a rectangle around 11 x 8. Place the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Place the sprinkles into a large dish.  Remove the top sheet of wax paper from both doughs, carefully flip the coloured dough onto the vanilla dough, press together and remove the wax paper from the top.  Trim the edges and roll the dough starting with the long side, once rolled into a log place in the dish containing the sprinkles, roll in the sprinkles until completely covered. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 4 hours. 

When ready to bake, heat oven to 190 degrees C.  Slice into 1/4 inch rounds and bake on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes.