The humble Anzac biscuit has long been a staple in the New Zealand baker’s repertoire, however its renown is yet to extend the 20,000 km from Aotearoa to the north of France.
Sharing New Zealand culture with the people of Le Quesnoy is a core mission of the New Zealand Liberation Museum – Te Arawhata. In the latest of our school holiday workshops, Museum Director Elizabeth Wratislav got the recipe book out for a lesson on how to make our famous commemorative cookie.
With golden syrup sourced from across the Channel, the workshop began with a taste of this unfamiliar ingredient. The participants made the dough while learning about the history of this simple yet delicious biscuit, before rolling their biscuits into balls and putting them in the oven. While they baked, our guests were toured through Te Arawhata by Education Manager Blandine Demailly, before returning to the kitchen to smell the unmistakable aroma of butter, syrup, coconut and rolled oats.
Each guest took away a packet of biscuits, but more importantly, a skill that will serve them for many Aprils to come. Baking Anzac biscuits using the same, time-tested recipe is a small yet significant way of remembering the New Zealand sacrifice.