Anzac Day

It's been a while since I've written a family post! Anzac Day is an extra special one for me because my great grandfather was a soldier in the Australian Army in WWI. He was one of the first to arrive at Gallipoli and one of the last to leave. Although I never had the chance to meet him, stories about him and his Military Cross have been part of the fabric of my childhood. I've started to talk about the Anzacs a bit with my own children and I'm thrilled that this year Jemima is involved in a special Anzac day at her school. The idea of Australians and New Zealanders as brothers in arms is poignant for us as a Kiwi family living in Australia. It's comforting to think that there's that connection there between our homeland and the land we call home. Tomorrow we're planning a quiet day in each others company reflecting on how very lucky we are to be able to do that.

Gluten free Vegan Anzac Biscuits

There's no reason why we dietary challenged folk can't enjoy the good old Anzac biscuit. As a child these were a staple in my house at all times of the year. I make them often too, but I especially like to make a big batch the night before Anzac Day. Here we'll use tapioca in place of flour, and a mix of flaked quinoa and almond meal instead of rolled oats. They have a slightly nuttier taste than traditional Anzac biscuits.

Combine in a bowl with a whisk:

1 C tapioca starch
1 1/3 C coconut
1 C flaked quinoa
1/2 C almond meal
2/3 C sugar

Then in a saucepan melt together 2 Tbsp golden syrup and 100g DF margarine (or use butter if you can).

Mix the melted butter and syrup into the dry ingredients along with 1 tsp baking soda that has been stirred into 4 Tbsp boiling water.

Combine until well mixed then roll into balls. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 180 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden. Yum!