Gingernuts
Delicious, easy and very very moreish
Ingredients:
* 800 g all-purpose flour
* 1 tblsp baking powder
* 4 tblsp ground ginger
* 2 tsp ground star anise
* 1 tsp sea salt
* 300 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 200 g dark brown sugar, packed
* 2 large eggs (approx. 100 g), at room temperature
* 225 ml un-sulphured molasses
* 225 ml Golden Syrups
* Zest of two lemons
Instructions:
1. Prepare Dry Ingredients:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, star anise, and salt until well combined.
2. Cream Butter and Sugar:
- In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and dark brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add Wet Ingredients:
- Beat in the egg until fully incorporated.
- Add the molasses, golden syrup and lemon zest, mixing on high speed until combined.
4. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures:
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms.
5. Chill the Dough:
- Divide the dough into two equal portions. Shape each into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Chilling the dough enhances flavour development and makes it easier to handle.
6. Preheat Oven:
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180°C. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Roll Out Dough:
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to a thickness of about 6 mm. Keep the other disc refrigerated until ready to use.
8. Cut and Arrange:
- Use round cutters to cut out desired shapes. Transfer the cutouts to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 cm apart.
9. Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn dark golden.
ANZAC Biscuits
ANZAC biscuits - Image Mark Best
Anzac Day, April 25th, is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. Specifically it marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War where some 60,000 Australians and 17,000 New Zealanders perished.
The army ration biscuit, also known as an Anzac wafer or Anzac tile, is essentially a long shelf-life, hard tack biscuit, eaten as a substitute for bread. Unlike bread, though, the biscuits are very, very hard. Some soldiers preferred to grind them up and eat as porridge.
Mine is the traditional sweet recipe made from ingredients that could survive the two-month journey sent from loved ones to soldiers on the front line, they were originally called Soldier’s biscuits and renamed following the Gallipoli landings.
The Australia and New Zealand Army Corps or ANZACs as they came to be known are remembered by these simple sweet biscuits that we bake on this occasion. Lest we forget.
90 gms steel-cut oats
75gm plain flour
100 gm wholemeal flour
150 gm raw sugar
30 gms desiccated coconut
5 gms salt
40 gms golden syrup (or light treacle)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
60 mls water
125 gms butter
1. sift flours, salt & baking soda together
2. add oats, sugar & coconut
3. place butter, water & golden syrup into a pan & heat gently until just melted.
4. stir into the dry ingredients & work lightly until amalgamated
5.moisten your hands and roll into small, walnut sized, balls & place onto a paper lined baking sheet
6. allow 10 cm between each as they spread
7. bake at 170C until golden. around 35 min for chewy, 45 for crunchy