Cookie Crazy

I went cookie crazy this week! I’ve been craving chocolate cookies for a couple of nights and was dreaming of them night after night. I am one of those who would crave and crave and then when I can’t take it anymore, I’ll lookup recipes and make some to fix my craving. Seeing that Anzac Day was coming, I decided to try bake a batch of Anzac cookies. Since I was gonna bake cookies, I might as well bake chocolate ones to fix my craving. 

Anzac Day is like the most important public holiday in Australia. Many Australians consider Anzac Day the National Day of the country. It is celebrated to commemorate members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Cops (ANZAC) during World War I. On this day, marching parades attended by veterans from past wars, current serving members of the defence force, cadets, scouts, guides and other uniform bodies are organised in capital cities and towns nationwide. There will then be social gatherings whereby everyone gets together for a drink or two. 

There are many variations to the origin of Anzac biscuits. I like the version about Australian and New Zealand women who made these cookies for the ANZAC soldiers during World War I. I think it is really patriotic and shows how war can bring people closer together. You don’t have to be a frontliner to serve your country, what matters most is your heart. I’ve never truly embraced the Anzac Day culture maybe because patriotism is something I learnt, while growing up, that it is not even worth my time. I’ve come close to holding my Australian permanent residency status for 2 years and think it’s about time I learn something about the Australian heritage and start considering how that is going to shape my future. I don’t particularly favour Anzac biscuits as I’ve often found it a bit too crunchy. This recipe however was perfect for me as the biscuits were chewy and just nice. Ryan being bored and having loads of free time took photos for me and compiled them into a short video.

Anzac Biscuits:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 125gm butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method:

• Preheat oven to 160C. Line baking trays with non-stick baking sheet.
• Sift flour into a large bowl. Stir in oats, coconut and brown sugar. 
• Put butter, syrup and 2 tbsp water in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. 
• Pour butter mixture into flour mixture and mix well to combine. 
• Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and flatten slightly with your palm. Place 5 cm apart on tray.
• Bake till golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 125gm butter, chopped
• 200gm milk chocolate
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 tbsp self-raising flour
• 1 cup roasted hazelnuts

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180C. Line baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
• Melt butter and chocolate together in a bowl. Cool slightly.
• Stir in cocoa powder, eggs and sugar. Sift flour over mixture and mix well. 
• Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and flatten slightly with your palm. Place 5 cm apart on tray.
• Bake till tops are slightly cracked (10-12 minutes). Remove from oven and set aside for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool.

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