Holiday Cookie Countdown: Anzac Biscuits

It is so rare that the military inspires excellent food – but that’s exactly what happened with Australia and New Zealand’s Anzac biscuits. These rolled oat cookies were developed during World War I when mothers, wives, sisters, and friends wanted to send a delicious treat to their men in the military.

Even its name – Anzac – comes from the Australia New Zealand Army Corps.

Because of this close association, the Australian government closely monitors the use of name and the cookies are often manufactured and sold as a fundraiser for veterans.

Fortunately, the cookies are delicious and travel well so bake up a batch for your far-flung friends and relatives!

Get the recipe from Cooking Clarified here. We’ll be posting more holiday cookies from around the world as we count down to Hannukah and Christmas.

International Food for Your All-American Cookout

Pavlova photo courtesy of http://www.kiwibaking.com

American Independence Day – also known as the Fourth of July – is one of the biggest barbecue holidays of the year.

This year, you can freshen up your party menu by incorporating cuisines from around the world. Not only will it give your guests some new flavors to enjoy but it will also permit everyone to celebrate one of the greatest things about our country: that we welcome all people here from around the world.

1. German Potato Salad

More than 17% of Americans report themselves as having some German ancestry, which is the largest self-reported ancestral group. Odds are, if you’re hosting a barbecue for the 4th of July, at least some of your guests are German-Americans. Here’s a Food Network recipe for German Potato Salad to help you celebrate.

2. Tandoori Chicken

Try something new on the grill with this recipe for Tandoori Chicken. You can adjust the seasonings to make it more – or less – spicy without sacrificing the amazing flavor.

3. Korean Barbecue

There’s nothing like barbecued spare ribs on the 4th of July, so tuck your napkin into your collar and get ready to get messy with this Korean Barbecue recipe from Epicurious.com. As of the 2000 Census, there are more than one million Korean-Americans in the United States.

4. Mexican Salad with Avocado Dressing

Fresh and delicious, this salad would go beautifully with whatever else you’re serving at your celebration. It’s also a great way to honor Mexican-Americans, whose numbers have increased 58% between the 1990 and 2000 Census.

5. Austalia/New Zealand’s Pavlova

Not only is this a beautiful-looking dessert, it’s also light after a heavy meal of barbecued foods. It uses fresh strawberries, but if you want to re-create the American flag, go ahead and dot in some blueberries to give the dish our traditional red, white, and blue look.

Cookies 19: Chocolate Oat Cookies

Australia’s chocolate oat cookies are not only festive and easy to make, they also travel extremely well.

If you’re baking cookies to send to friends or family far away, these cookies may be just the thing for you.

Here’s a recipe for Anzac biscuits – also known as Australian chocolate oat cookies -from Allrecipes.com. These cookies are also widely made in New Zealand.

Chocolate Oat Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets. Mix quick oats, flour, coconut, brown sugar, and ginger in a bowl. With your fingers, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
2. Dissolve the baking soda in boiling water. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, and stir in the golden syrup to combine. Pour in the dissolved baking soda, and pour the mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir lightly until just combined; drop by rounded tablespoon about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.