ANZAC Day, Service and a Cookie Recipe for ANZAC biscuits

ANZAC stands for Australia, New Zealand Army Corps.  The ANZAC forces landed in Gallipoli April 25th 1915.  Despite huge losses, the ANZAC forces held their beaches and gained objectives such as Chanuk Bair, that other forces failed to match, their bravery and irreverence toward authority were legendary.

Today every April 25th, we have a memorial day to honour those who fell that day in 1915 and every other fallen hero, who died in the service of our countries.  Both New Zealand and Australia share the day, as we shared our forces and our men in two world wars.

ANZAC Day begins with Dawn Services, through out New Zealand and Australia.  The old soldiers march into the parade ground, Prayers are said for the dead, the ode to the fallen is said and then the last post played and the flag is lowered.

Ode to the fallen 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Then the bugler plays revellee and the flag is raised.  Wreaths and Poppies are laid at the cenotaphs and at the tomb of the unknown soldier in the capitals of Wellington and Canberra.

Red Poppies are worn, as in England for Armistace Day a tradition that grew from the poem,

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae

ANZAC Biscuits: Cookies

History has it that ANZAC biscuits or cookies to Americans, were baked by women during WW1 for their sons/husbands/brothers/fiances etc overseas on deployment.  Basically they are a rolled oat biscuit made without eggs in order that they keep longer.  The golden syrup is the binding agent, golden syrup is basically a light treacle.

1 cup flour

pinch salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup rolled oats

125 grams butter

1 tblsp golden syrup

2 tblsp water

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and rolled oats . 2. Melt the butter, golden syrup and vanilla together. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and mix into the flour with the melted butter, stirring until all the ingredients are combined. 3. Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on greased trays. (Flatten lightly with a fork.) 4. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 12-15 minutes until the biscuits have flattened out and have become a reddish brown. Transfer to a cake rack to cool. They will crispen as they cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 3 dozen.