Australian Food

Authentic Australian food from Down Under. Celebrate Australia Day on January 26. Here are some of my favorite uniquely Australian recipes.

These ANZAC biscuits (cookies) originated during World War I and are still made in Australia and New Zealand to commemorate soldiers who fought in the wars.

ANZAC Biscuits

1 cup plain flour, sifted
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut, desiccated
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate soda)
2 tablespoons boiling water

In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, coconut and sugar in a bowl. Melt the butter and syrup (honey may be used as a substitute) in a saucepan over a low heat. Mix baking soda with boiling water then add to the butter and syrup. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until well mixed.

Spoon onto a greased cookie sheet (allow room for spreading). Bake at 180C or 350F degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Theses biscuits (cookies) will keep if sealed in an airtight container.

Try this super light meringue dessert with fresh fruit toppings. This is a great Australian dessert. Perfect for summer. It is rumored that this dessert was invented by an Australian chef to celebrate the arrival of famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova to dance in Perth in 1935.

Australian Pavlova

4-6 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons corn starch (cornflour)
whipped cream
fresh fruit

Beat egg whites with electric mixer until gentle peaks begin to form. Gradually add sugar, then lemon juice and corn starch. Beat until nice and stiff (5 to 10 minutes).

Cover a round pizza pan with wax paper. Spoon meringue onto pan and use spatula to spread. Use spatula to create peaks around the sides and edges of the pavlova.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours in a 250F degree oven (120C). Pavlova should be crispy on the outside and soft and silky on the inside.

Open oven and leave open with pavlova left inside until it cools. Once cool, spread whipped cream over top and sides. Decorate with fresh fruit slices such as kiwi fruit, mangoes, and strawberries. Delicious!

A lamington is a uniquely Australian dessert that my kids are crazy about. It's a sponge cake covered with gooey chocolate icing and shredded coconut. Lamingtons were supposedly invented by an Australian Governor's kitchen staff in the late 1800's who wanted to find a creative way to use stale sponge cake. To make perfect Lamingtons, you don't need stale sponge cake, but it is best not to use fresh cake either because it's too crumbly. So if you've never had a lamington...follow this easy recipe and you'll be hooked like we are.

Lamingtons

Sponge cake
2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Warm water
2 cups finely shredded coconut

Sift powdered sugar and cocoa into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, melt butter then add vanilla and beat into the sugar and cocoa mixture. Beat well and add a little warm water to make the icing sticky and not runny. Then take an ordinary sponge cake and cut into 4 inch squares. Next pour the coconut into a shallow tray. Take one lamington at a time and dip in the chocolate icing, then roll in the shredded coconut while the icing is still moist. Place lamingtons on a wire rack and let icing harden.

Kids will have a lot of fun making and eating lamingtons - the chocolate sticky mess is part of the fun!

Easy Aussie Snacks

My favorite quick and easy breakfast recipe is so simple. You toast your bread, open up a can of baked beans or spaghetti, and pour over your toast. Kids love it.

Australians call children "little vegemites". Since Australians created vegemite, you can imagine they spread this B vitamin rich yeast extract spread over everything. It's a healthy treat for kids. My kids find it a little salty so I make vegemite and banana slice sandwiches. The banana adds the sweetness to counter the salty taste of the vegemite. Outside of Australia you can find the "Vegemite" or "Marmite" brands in specialty grocery stores.

Do you have Australian food recipes to share?