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Healthy Chewy Anzac Biscuits

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Anzac BiscuitsThis is my beautiful traditional yet healthy take on the famous Anzac biscuit! It also has special meaning to me as I’m sure it did to my grandad (pictured) who served in the First World War.

My Great Grandad Raymond Wenban served on the Western Front in France. At the age of 22 he joined the army to serve as a Medic in one of the largest battles of World War 1. The Battle of the Somme on the Western Front in France against the Germans was one of the bloodiest battles in history where over 1,000,000 soliders were either wounded or killed.

My great grandfather was an amazing man during this battle where he nursed many many men to their death and some back to health. He even nursed many Germans also.

Being right in the line of fire as a medic it was a miracle that he came home alive! For his service he received 4 medals that are dear to my family….the family like me, that wouldn’t be here without him today!

He was a wonderful man with an amazing sense of humour and a light hearted spirit! He lived to the ripe old age of 97!

I could go on and on, but the story behind the Anzac biscuit is a special one. These biscuits first appeared in 1914 when a homemaker journal published a recipe that used the newly developed golden syrup as a preservative. This enabled the biscuits to be transported to the European battlefronts and arrive fresh, even after 6 weeks at sea! How amazing!

I wonder if my great grandfather was lucky enough to get some of these cookies sent all the way from home! I wish I had been able to ask him! Nevertheless they would have been very precious I am sure to those soldiers who did receive them from home!

I’ve used coconut nectar as a replacement for the golden syrup but you can use honey or maple syrup if vegan or even rice malt syrup.

You can make them gluten free by using gluten free oats and gluten free flour too.

They are crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle! Yum!

So enjoy these gorgeous cookies as we celebrate and remember all the amazing men and women who sacrificed their lives for the amazing country in which we live today!

LEST WE FORGET!

Healthy Traditional Anzac Biscuits (Spelt & Naturally Sweetened)
Yields 18
These are my version of a chewy traditional Anzac biscuit. Naturally sweetened, wholemeal spelt, egg free, nut free.
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
15 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. 75g Organic Butter, cubed
  2. 1 Tbsp Water
  3. 2 Tbsp Coconut Flour Nectar or Honey
  4. 1 tsp Bicarb Soda
  5. 75g Wholemeal Spelt Flour
  6. 1 tsp Baking Powder (Aluminium Free)
  7. 90g Rolled Oats
  8. 100g Rapadura Sugar
  9. 50g Desiccated Coconut
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°.
  2. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
  3. Place the butter, water and coconut nectar into the mixing bowl and cook 3 Mins/90°/Speed 2.
  4. Add the bicarb and mix 5 Sec/Speed 3.
  5. Add all the remaining ingredients and process 10 Sec/Reverse/Speed 4.
  6. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place on prepared trays allowing for spreading.
  7. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
  8. Cool for 5 minutes on the trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
  1. You can substitute the coconut flour nectar for honey, maple syrup or rice malt syrup.
Kitch'n Thyme http://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Paleo Pumpkin & Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

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photoI’m soooooo excited!!! After countless experiments I finally present to you my humble Paleo Pumpkin & Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I have tried so many different things! A multitude of flours, sweeteners & fats! At one stage I had what my nieces and nephews termed a “Moofie”! A cross between a cookie and a muffin! I almost ran with that as they were delicious, but not 100% what I was looking for! I was looking for a crispy, golden, crunchy PALEO cookie! What I will say is that they will go softer once they are stored, but they are still deliciously beautiful! Just eat them fresh on the day of baking if you want that beautiful crispy texture!

I tried many different prototypes with almond meal but it wasn’t until I had an epic light bulb moment and decided to try them with almond butter. It came about because I was thinking of adding walnut butter to the mix for flavour! I suddenly realised nut butter might be the secret! Roasted almond butter. And oh, you can’t imagine the joy when I pulled out perfectly ‘normal’ looking cookies out of the oven! They were golden, and looked crispy! I just about dove in right there to try them! Once they had cooled sufficiently so I wouldn’t get burnt,  I snatched one right then and there!….Wow! Something magical had happened! The almond butter had done it! I was so elated! After all my attempts with many complex ratios and multiple ingredients, I ended up with a delightful cookie from the simplest of ingredients! There is really not much to these cookies at all! I am ridiculously excited to share this beautiful recipe with you! I’ve added no extra oils to the cookies. It rely’s completely on that from the almond butter. Because the almonds are roasted, this also helps to release even more of those beautiful oils from the nuts, which is why no other oil is needed.

To make you own almond butter, just place about 450-500g roasted almonds in the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9. Scrape down the sides and process for about 1 minute/Speed 8 or until a beautiful butter consistency is achieved!

As I love to do, I wanted vegetables in them, in particular pumpkin, firstly because I think its a perfect match (chocolate & pumpkin), and to increase the nutritional benefit! I mean, if I’m going to give these to my family, I will still always want a treat to be of some benefit! Hiding a vegetable in a cookie so that no one will ever know is perfect! My little boy just loves them! I still talk about the fact that even good treats we need to balance with lots of vegetables and proteins etc, and I try to teach him the difference between a bought cookie and one that mummy makes! Mummy’s have a healthier sweetener, and a small amount at that, and nuts that will make him strong etc!

I’ve used about 100g pumpkin puree in this recipe. You can actually increase the pumpkin to 200g with no problems. They are just a little more crunchy with 100g, whereas with 200g they are a little more moist in the middle! Completely up to you! If you have a whole lot of pumpkin to use, go the whole 200g! I just steamed the pumpkin in the Thermomix for about 15 minutes/Varoma/Speed 2, then pureed for about 5 Sec/Speed. I steamed about 300g. Depending on the pumpkin it will probably reduce by 1/3.

The walnuts just make them! After all, pumpkin and walnuts is such a beautiful marriage. But you could use whatever nut you fancy!

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we are!

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Paleo Pumpkin & Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields 28
A deliciously moist, subtly spicy pumpkin cookie!
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Ingredients
  1. 120g Coconut Palm Sugar
  2. 450g Roasted Almond Butter
  3. 2 Organic Eggs
  4. 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
  5. 1/8 tsp Allspice
  6. 1 tsp Bicarb Soda
  7. 100g Pumpkin Puree
  8. 50g Chocolate Chips (naturally sweetened, dairy free)
  9. 50g Walnuts (roughly chopped)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line large baking trays with baking paper or lay your oven Thermomat on a tray.
  2. Place the sugar into the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9.
  3. Add the almond butter, the eggs, spices, bicarb, & pumpkin and mix 10 Sec/Speed 5.
  4. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and mix a further 10 Sec/Speed 5.
  5. Once combined, place Tbsp sized amounts onto your baking sheet. Flatten out a little with your fingers to form a more flattened disc.
  6. Place into the hot oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.
  7. Remove from the oven and whilst warm top with a few extra chocolate chips if you desire.
  8. Let cool on the trays for 5-10 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  9. Store in an airtight container.
Kitch'n Thyme http://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Choc Peppermint Creams

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These delicious cookies are an absolute winner with my friends! Chocolate, peppermint, and a much healthier alternative to the original – what’s not to love!! You will need my Coconut Butter recipe to make these cookies.

Choc Peppermint Creams
Yields 20
Delicious melt-in-the-mouth little morsels!
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
10 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
10 min
COOKIE DOUGH
  1. 100g Organic Dark Chocolate
  2. 150g Organic Butter, softened
  3. 120g Rice Malt Syrup
  4. 90g Rapadura Sugar
  5. 230g Unbleached Spelt Flour, sifted
  6. 25g Raw Cacao powder, sifted
  7. 1 tsp Bicarb Soda, sifted
PEPPERMINT CREAM FILLING
  1. 75g Cashews
  2. 75g Macadamias
  3. 160g Coconut Butter
  4. 30g Rice Malt Syrup
  5. 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
  6. 6 Drops Peppermint Essential Oil
COOKIE DOUGH
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place the chocolate into the bowl of the Thermomix and chop briefly 2 times/Turbo speed. Set aside.
  2. Place the butter, rice malt syrup & sugar into the bowl of the Thermomix and cream 30 seconds/Speed 5.
  3. Add the flour, cacao powder, and bicarb and mix 10 Seconds/Speed 6.
  4. Add the chopped chocolate and mix 5 Seconds/Speed 5/Reverse.
  5. Place small tablespoons (approx. 15g) sized balls onto a tray lined with baking paper & bake for 8-10 minutes. It will make approximately 40 individual cookies (about 20 sandwiched peppermint creams). Cool on a wire rack.
PEPPERMINT CREAM FILLING
  1. Place the cashews and macadamias into the bowl of the Thermomix and process for approximately 1 minute/Speed 8 or until nut butter consistency is achieved.
  2. Add the coconut butter, rice malt syrup, vanilla and peppermint oil and process for a further 10 Seconds/Speed 5. Place filling in the fridge for 15 or so minutes to chill.
ASSEMBLY
  1. Once chilled, roll tablespoon sized amounts into a ball and press onto the flat underside of a cookie. Top with another cookie to create a sandwich. Serve.
Notes
  1. NB. They will keep in an airtight container for 3 or so days, however I like to keep mine in the fridge. They will go all fudgy once in the fridge.
Kitch'n Thyme http://kitchnthyme.com.au/