Anzac biscuits have evolved over time. Compare the original hardtack recipe to the modern treat
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This week Australians and New Zealanders will stop to commemorate Anzac Day. But while the date is specific to the Gallipoli landing in 1915, it's a day to pay respect to all Australians who have served and died in military operations throughout history. Anzac Day is on April 25 every year. This year, that falls on a Thursday. Yes. Anzac Day is a public holiday across Australia and New Zealand. In years where April 25 falls on a weekend, some states and territories may hold the public holiday on the Monday or Friday — but because it's on a weekday this year, that's not the case. Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. It's a national day of remembrance, commemorating those who have served and died in military operations. Or, as the Australian War Memorial puts it, it's a time for the nation to "reflect on the many different meanings of war". These days, an Anzac biscuit (or bickie, depending on how casual you want to be) is typically a sweet oaty biscuit made with desiccated coconut and golden syrup. But in a summary of Australia's Anzac Day traditions written for the federal government, David Watt points out that this wasn't always the case. "The original Anzac biscuit, also known as the Anzac wafer or tile, was a hardtack biscuit or long shelf-life biscuit substitute for bread," he says. "These were not necessarily popular with soldiers at Gallipoli, but there are now recipes for more edible domestic versions." The Australian War Museum has three historical Anzac biscuit recipes on its website, which we've reproduced here: The army biscuit, also known as an Anzac wafer or Anzac tile, is essentially a long shelf-life, hardtack 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 them as porridge. The following recipe has been supplied courtesy of Arnott's Biscuits Limited, through Frank Townsend, chief chemist. Originally, the biscuits were baked in large industrial ovens but the recipe has been altered so that one can bake them in a domestic oven. Ingredients sufficient for six biscuits: (Use self-raising flour. If self-raising flour is not available, sieve 10 grams of baking powder together with plain flour before adding other ingredients.) Method Place flour, sugar, and milk powder in a large bowl and blend with your fingertips. Form into a pile and scoop out a hole (well) in the centre. Add all of the water in which the salt has been dissolved. Thoroughly work the flour from the inside of the well into the water until the whole is a mass of lumps of flour and water. Once the dough is formed, transfer it to a tabletop or pastry board. The dough should now be torn apart, rubbed into balls, and thrown together, and the process repeated until the mass is well mixed and in the form of a hard dough. The dough is then rested for about half an hour. Now roll the dough in 8mm-thick sheets using a rolling pin and two 8mm thick guides (wooden slats are ideal), the dough being rolled down between the two guides until the rolling pin rests on the guides during each traverse. The rolled sheet of dough is then cut into 90 mm squares, preferably by pressing with the edge of a steel rule rather than slicing with a knife. The pressing action helps to join the top and bottom surfaces and will improve the lift on baking. A cardboard square, 90 mm on each side, can be used as a pattern to ensure uniformity in your tiles. Next, the biscuit squares should be docked by having a regular horizontal and vertical pattern of holes pushed into them at about 18 mm spaces with a flat-ended pin or rod. Push it in until it bottoms, twist slightly, and then withdraw. Repeat at the next position. Each biscuit should have five vertical and five horizontal rows of docker holes, 25 holes in all. There are those at the Memorial who argue for 49 holes (7 x 7) as the authentic number of docker holes. Place on a lightly greased steel baking sheet, with the biscuits about 6 mm apart, and form a wall around the load with scrap dough to avoid burning the edges of the biscuits. Bake at about 200 degrees centigrade for 30 to 40 minutes on a low shelf in the oven. Take care not to burn them. To achieve a suitable hardness in your biscuits, store for a time in an air-tight container. Source: Australian War Memorial The popular Anzac biscuit is a traditional, eggless sweet biscuit. Early recipes did not include coconut. The following recipe (without coconut) was published in The Capricornian (Rockhampton, Queensland) on Saturday, 14th August 1926. Ingredients Method Source: Australian War Memorial The Country Women's Association of New South Wales Calendar of Cake and Afternoon Tea Delicacies: a recipe for each day of the year (Sydney: The Association, 1933) included two recipes for Anzac biscuits, one without coconut and the following version which included coconut. Ingredients: Method Source: Australian War Memorial It's the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand armed forces during World War I. On April 25 1915, the soldiers landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula, in what was then known as Turkey (which is now officially known as Türkiye). The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), which was the capital of the Ottoman Empire. This was when Australia and New Zealand were fighting as part of the Commonwealth for Britain, which had declared war against Germany. The Ottoman Empire was, at the time, an ally of Germany. The Gallipoli campaign was supposed to be a fast victory, but it ended up dragging on for eight months, with heavy casualties on both sides. More than 8,000 Australian soldiers died during the campaign. It had a profound impact on Australians at home and the first day of the campaign "became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who died in the war", the Australian War Memorial website says. "Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the actions of Australian and New Zealand forces during the campaign left a powerful legacy," the website says. "What became known as the 'Anzac legend' became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways in which they viewed both their past and their future." There are many traditions associated with the day, but the two key events are a memorial service at dawn and a march later in the day. Dawn services are symbolic of the time Anzac forces originally landed on the shores of Gallipoli. These ceremonies typically involve the laying of floral wreaths, a moment of silence and a rendition of The Last Post — which is a specific tune played on a bugle. Later in the day, former and current military personnel and family representatives march in a parade and gather with the public for a formal memorial service. Anyone can go to the public services, which are typically held in central areas. Head to the RSL Australia official website to find out what events are happening near you. But if you're unable to make it there in person, you can watch the services on ABC TV and the station's streaming service ABC iview. The Sydney Dawn Service will be broadcast live on ABC TV, ABC NEWS channel, ABC iview and on the ABC listen app from 4:20am AEST, followed by the Canberra Dawn Service at 5:30am. ABC TV and ABC NEWS channel will broadcast the Gallipoli Dawn Service live from 12:30pm AEST, the Villers-Bretonneux Dawn Service from 1:30pm AEST and the governor-general's address from 6:55pm AEST. But there will be broadcasts for each of the nation's capital cities. Every capital city will have live TV coverage of a local march, however coverage of capital city dawn services varies. State TV broadcasts of capital city marches and dawn services will also be streamed live on ABC iview. The Adelaide Dawn Service will be broadcast live on ABC TV, ABC iview, ABC Radio Adelaide, ABC Radio SA and on the ABC listen app from 6am to 7am (CST). The Adelaide March will be broadcast on ABC TV and ABC iview from 9am to 12pm (CST) and will include highlights of the Adelaide Dawn Service. The Brisbane March will be broadcast live between 10am and 12.30pm (AEST) on ABC TV and ABC iview. The Darwin Dawn Service will be broadcast live on ABC TV, ABC iview, ABC Radio Darwin, ABC Radio NT and on the ABC listen app from 6am to 7am (CST). The Darwin March will be broadcast on ABC TV from 9am to 10am (CST). The Canberra Dawn Service will be broadcast live on ABC TV, ABC NEWS channel, ABC iview, Radio National, ABC Local Radio and on the ABC listen app from 5.30am (AEST). The Hobart March will be broadcast live between 11am and 12.30pm (AEST) on ABC TV and ABC iview. This will include highlights of the Hobart Dawn Service. The Melbourne March which will include Dawn Service highlights and will be broadcast on ABC TV and ABC iview from 9am to 12pm (AEST). The Melbourne Dawn Service will be broadcast live on ABC Radio Melbourne and on the ABC listen app from 5.30am. The Perth March will be broadcast live between 9am and 10:30am (AWST) on ABC TV and ABC iview. This will include highlights of the Perth Dawn Service. The Sydney Dawn Service will be broadcast live on ABC TV, ABC NEWS channel, ABC iview, ABC Radio Sydney, ABC Radio NSW and on the ABC listen app from 4:20am (AEST). The Sydney March will be broadcast on ABC TV and ABC iview from 9am (AEST). All Anzac Day TV programming will be added to the Australia Remembers collection on ABC iview. Posted 21 Apr 202421 Apr 2024Sun 21 Apr 2024 at 8:00pm, updated 22 Apr 202422 Apr 2024Mon 22 Apr 2024 at 12:14amWhen is Anzac Day?
Is Anzac Day a public holiday?
What does Anzac stand for?
What is Anzac Day?
What's an Anzac biscuit?
Anzac tile/wafer recipe
Anzac biscuits (without coconut)
Anzac biscuits (with coconut)
Anzac biscuits, No. 2
Why is Anzac Day on April 25?
How is Anzac Day commemorated?
How can I find Anzac Day service near me?
Capital city broadcasts
Adelaide
Brisbane
Darwin
Canberra
Hobart
Melbourne
Perth
Sydney