ANZAC Biscuits

April 25: ANZAC Day

Australia and New Zealand remember their veterans with an annual national holiday on April 25. We join the commemoration by baking special cookies called ANZAC biscuits. ANZAC is an acronym for the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps, and cookies are called biscuits there. During World War I, these hearty treats were sent to troops abroad.  Today, these are still popular with soldiers and civilians alike.

Islander’s family used to mail care packages to her Daddy while he was deployed in the U.S. Navy.  She still sends Treats to the Troops and encourages others to do the same, perhaps including ANZAC biscuits in the box.

Recipe

(Adapted from Australian Women’s Weekly)

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup flour, sifted
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup dessicated coconut
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 tablespoon of boiling water

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the oats, flour, sugar and coconut. In a small pot, melt the butter and golden syrup, stirring over low heat on the stove top.  In a small cup or dish, combine the baking soda with boiling water, then pour this into the melted butter mixture, stirring well. Add this to the dry ingredients. Blend well until everything begins to stick together.

Pack into 1-inch rounds and place on a greased baking sheet. Flatten each with the bottom of a glass, carefully forming disc shapes.  Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from the oven and let set for 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks to harden.  Yield: About 3 dozen.

Notes

• The measurements in this recipe were originally in metric system and were converted to the U.S. equivalent.
• We got the dessicated coconut from About Australia online shop.
• Thanks to Sister Durie K. for the cookbook, “The Big Book of Beautiful Biscuits.”
• Thanks to Lisa L. for the golden syrup. She sent us the Lyle’s brand from Europe. We would often mail Treats to the Troops and to her naval reserve unit while she served abroad.
• Thanks to Eric L. for the koala clip and aboriginal kangaroo leather pouch used for the photo props. Islander met this generous gentleman from New South Wales in Australia while mutually attending a session at an international conference for work in Toronto, Canada.

Pigs-in-a-Blanket

United Kingdom Version

United States of America Version

April 24: National Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day

Both the British and Americans go “hog wild” over sausage-wrapped appetizers! The bacon-wrapped style is a tasty traditional Christmas treat in the United Kingdom and the dough-covered style is a favorite finger food in the United States. Highlander and Islander like to serve both types of pigs-in-a-blanket together to give others a variety of appetizer selections. We don’t discriminate our dishes—we provide equal opportunity for people to “pork out!”

Recipe

UK Style

• 1 package of chipolatas (pork sausages)
• 1 package of bacon strips

Directions

Carefully peel off the sausage skin/casing. Optional: Cut the sausages and bacon strips in half. Wrap the bacon around the sausage. Refrigerate until firm. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top to let the bacon fat drip below it. Arrange the pigs-in-a-blanket on the wire rack. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until the sausages are browned and cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Arrange on a plate and serve.

USA Style

• 1 package of hot dogs, cut in half
• 1 package of puff pastry dough, thawed
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

Directions

Dry the hot dogs on paper towels and set aside. Unfold the puff pastry dough and cut into thirds (nine squares). Place a hot dog in the center of the dough. Wrap it around the hot dog, carefully stretching the dough if necessary, and pinch the edges to seal.

With the seam side down, place each on a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until the dough has firmed up. Brush the tops of the pigs-in-a-blanket with the egg wash. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 25-20 minutes or until the dough becomes puffed up and golden.

Notes

• We buy frozen chipolatas at a local British imports store. Check specialty markets if these little piggies are available. Breakfast sausage links can be substituted.
• Puff pastry dough can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store. Canned biscuit or crescent dough may be used instead of puff pastry dough. Unroll from the can and flatten to about ¼ inch thick before wrapping around the hot dogs.
• Serve the pigs-in-a-blanket with mustard, ketchup or barbecue sauce.

Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

April 23: National Cherry Cheesecake Day

College is not just a place to learn for a career but also about cooking.  Islander first learned how to make mini cherry cheesecakes from someone in one of her classes. Then she shared the recipe with her roommate, Monica C., and they baked them together in the dorm kitchen. They were a luxurious and delicious dessert compared to the cheap cardboard-tasting pizza and five-packs-for-a-dollar instant noodles they often ate as students. Islander continues to make mini cherry cheesecakes for college kids as part of her involvement in campus ministry. These snack-sized sweets are our featured blog recipe post for National Cherry Cheesecake Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Cooks.com)

Ingredients

• 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar (granulated white)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• box of vanilla wafers
• can of cherry pie filling, drained

Directions

Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers and place one vanilla wafer in each cup.  Beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Pour the batter 2/3 full in each cup. Bake the mini cheesecakes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 10 minutes in the muffin tins. Then transfer the mini cheesecakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Drain the cherry pie filling in a colander. Place three cherries in the middle of the “well” of the mini-cheesecakes. Chill for at least half an hour before serving. Yield: About two dozen.

Notes

• Change the cherry pie topping to blueberry and serve these cheesecake cups on May 26, National Blueberry Cheesecake Day.
• Search our blog for more posts on cheesecake recipes.