We all know the ANZAC biscuit story, about the humble cookie that was created to feed hungry soldiers in WWI without worry of being spoilt on the long journey to the battlefields. However a story that came out of Gallipoli that any food lover can appreciate was the exchange of sweets and tinned food between Turkish soldiers and ANZACs during the epic beach battle. Gifts flew between trenches during lulls in the fighting with dried raisins and tins soup replacing bullets and bombs. Though we think the ANZACs got the better end of the deal (um, Turkish delight?), we can certainly understand the food envy.
To pay tribute to the 100th year anniversary of our ANZAC heritage, Bacchus restaurants Head Chef Mark Penna has taken the traditional Anzac biscuit and added a few special touches that hark back to that exchange. Mark understands our love of food better than most, and puts his heart and soul into cooking, with the results plated up on the tables at Bacchus six days a week.
His Turkish ANZAC biscuit is still the sweet, crunchy biscuit we love to dip in a cup of tea, but incorporates vanilla extract, rosewater, slivered almonds, and a dust of icing sugar for an exotic Turkish twist.
The Turkish ANZAC biscuit
Ingredients:
- 85g oats
- 85g desiccated coconut
- 100g flour
- 100g sugar
- 100g butter
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup
- 1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 30ml rose water
- 80g slivered almonds
- Pre-heat oven to 150C.
- Mix oats, desiccated coconut, flour, sugar, mixed spice, vanilla extract and slivered almonds together.
- Melt butter and golden syrup together.
- Mix bi-carb soda and boiling water together.
- Add bi-carb to butter mixture and mix. Add rose water.
- Add the bi-carb, butter and rose water mix to the oats and desiccated coconut mix.
- Using your hands, shape the mix into 16 round flat cookies and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake in the oven for 8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Dust with icing sugar and serve.
