Anni's walnut, apple & spice biscuits

This time last year my husband was preparing to travel to Turkey to support the Dept of Veterans Affairs in their preparations leading up to and including the ANZAC Day commemoration at Gallipoli. 

My dear foodie friend Anni had just gifted me with a cookie jar filled with her favourite recipes including this recipe for ANZAC biscuits. (http://missmayblossom.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/anzac-biscuits.html)

In the jar Anni also included this delicious recipe for apple, cinnamon and walnut biscuits. The spices, soft apple and crunchy walnuts make for a lethal combination and when you give them enough time (if you can resist!) to cool, they are chewy on the inside.  

I made these on Friday and my house smelled like spices and apple for hours. Bliss!

1/2 cup butter, softened 

1/2 cup caster (or preferred) sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tspn vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

1 1/4 cup oats

1/2 tspn baking powder

1/2 tspn bicarb soda

1/2 tspn salt

1 tspn ground cinnamon 

Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 medium apple, peeled (optional), finely diced 

1 tspn lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180°c. Line 3 baking trays with greaseproof baking paper. Toss the diced apple in the lemon juice. 

Beat sugar and butter for 3-4 minutes. Add egg. Beat for 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. 

In a separate bowl, mix together oats, flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, spices and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat slowly until combined. 

Stir in apples and walnuts. 

Drop tblspn sized balls of dough on to the baking trays (spaced apart to allow for rising) and bake for about 20 minutes. 

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing them from the tray.... straight on to a plate with a cup of tea!

Thermomix recipe

90g butter, softened

80g caster sugar

70g brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tspn vanilla extract 

130g plain flour

115g oats

1/2 tspn baking powder

1/2 tspn bicarb soda

1/2 tspn salt

1 tspn ground cinnamon 

Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

135g chopped walnuts

1 medium apple, peeled (optional), finely diced 

1 tspn lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180°c. Line 3 baking trays with greaseproof baking paper.

Dice the apple into 5mm cubes. Toss the diced apple in the lemon juice and set aside. 

Place the oats, flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, spices and salt in the TM bowl. Mix on reverse/speed 4/6 seconds or until combined. Set aside.

Place the walnuts in the TM bowl and chop speed 4/4 seconds. Set aside.

Beat sugars and butter speed 4/6 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and repeat speed 4/6 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat speed 4/4 seconds.

Tip the mixture in to a bowl. I find stirring the apple and walnuts easier by hand at this point.  

Drop tblspn sized balls of dough on to the baking trays (spaced apart to allow for rising) and bake for about 20 minutes. 

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing them from the tray.... straight on to a plate with a cup of tea!

Notes

* You can peel the apples before you dice them. I prefer to leave the skin on because the apples I use are organic.

* Adjust the sugar quantities according to taste 

* You can do grate the nutmeg by hand with a spice grater or grate a whole nutmeg in the TM speed 9/ 12 seconds. A pinch of fresh nutmeg goes a long way! You could use ground nutmeg from a packet.

ANZAC biscuits

A couple of days ago a foodie friend called to see if I was home as she had something to drop off. When I opened the front door she had a biscuit jar and in that biscuit jar were a stack of her favourite biscuit recipes! I can't wait to share them with you as I make them...

What a thoughtful pressie!

There was a recipe for ANZAC biscuits. Rumoured to have been made by Australian women at home during World War I and shipped to the front line, ANZAC biscuits were made using ingredients that could withstand transport without spoiling. ANZAC Day is commemorated annually on 25 April.

Margaret Fulton has a similar recipe to the one in my new favourite biscuit jar. This is my favourite recipe.

ingredients
1 cup rolled oats (I used instant oats)
3/4 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup (150g plain flour)
1 cup (220g) caster sugar*
125g butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

method
Preheat the oven to 150ºc. Grease baking trays or line them with baking paper.

Combine the oats, coconut, flour and sugar in a bowl. Melt the butter and golden syrup over a low heat. Mix the boiling water with the bicarbonate soda and add to the butter and golden syrup mixture. Pour the liquid into the mixed dry ingredients and mix well.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto greased baking trays, leaving room for spreading. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Cool on trays for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks.

note
If you prefer your ANZACs slightly chewy rather than crunchy, cook them fro about 15 minutes. 

*As usual I used unrefined caster sugar.

Are you making ANZACs this year?