ANZAC day has just past here in Australia.

It’s a day for Australia and New Zealand to pay respect to the service men and women of both past and present. To stand proudly and respectfully together to say thanks, to walk and commemorate our ancestry and the sacrifices they have made to keep the world and country safe.

It’s a day that starts before dawn in solemn, with official services with gun salute and bugle calls into the rising suns rays. It’s a morning of community and heart and a sense of spirit that is not replicated on any other day of the year..

I will never understand the act of war, but I have complete respect and sympathy for those that choose to stand in harms way to make the world a better place, to protect those that can not protect themselves. There is a great sacrifice that comes from being a service man, long distant absence from family and loss. Loss of friends, loss of life, loss of time spent with children, mothers, partners.

I have written the story of the humble ANZAC Biscuit here, it’s essentially a love story, of those left behind caring deeply for the welfare of their sons, partners, husbands in far away places in horrific conditions.

Now a beloved biscuit found in homes all across Australia year round. The humble ANZAC biscuit is an amazing biscuit that can be used in many ways.

As the base in a deconstructed Lemon meringue Pie

As a Ganache filled indulgence bomb.

A spiked with ginger and Qunioa ANZAC Biscuit

or The new Chickpea (Besan) ANZAC i’ve been making

 

To commemorate ANZAC day my family gathered and I bought dessert. It was a morning whirl of a dessert, made from what was in the fridge, freezer and lurking in my very disorganised pantry. I knew Anzac biscuits would feature somewhere in the the dessert and a crumble was what was in mind. Hearty, delicious and a family favourite.

Some green apples, not so many as to make a crumble but enough to be a small filling was all i had. So a frangipane base it was, an apple compote middle and an ANZAC biscuit crumb on top. It’s not quite a crumble, almost a tart and basically a slice. It’s a dessert that fits many dessert hats. Either way it was a tasty, experimental success.

And so it was. Lest We Forget

Think Raspberry, Coconut slice meets Apple Pie. This is what our dessert tasted like. Deeply satisfying.

Served with a homemade warm custard (recipe here) with a warm pie or with a tart natural yoghurt and a cold pie. Either way this is dessert worthy of center stage on a dining table.

Raspberry Frangipane, Apple Compote and ANZAC Crumble

Serves 8 – 10  Preparation time 10 minutes  Cooking time 1 hr

Frangipane

1/3 cup Caster Sugar

75g Butter

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 cup Almond Meal

1/2 cup Raspberries frozen or fresh (I used frozen)

1 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 tbsp Caster Sugar extra

Apple Compote

4 medium apples peeled and cored

2 tbsp Caster sugar

2 tbsp water

ANZAC Crumb

1 1/4 cups Rolled Oats

3/4 cup Caster Sugar

1 cup Dessicated Coconut

1/2 cup Linseed Meal (or LSA)

1/2 cup Besan (chickpea) Flour

100g Butter

2 tbsp Golden Syrup

2 tbsp boiling water

1 tsp Bicarb soda

 

Preheat oven to 180C and butter your baking dish of choice but must be at least 5 cm high and 25cm wide (mine was a cast iron pan)

Chop the apples into 1 – 2cm chunks. Place into a saucepan with the sugar and water.

Cover and set over a medium heat for 20 minutes or until the apple is tender and translucent but still holding shape, stir occasionally.

Meanwhile in a food processor or stand mixer make the frangipane, beat caster sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix until just incorporated.

Add the Almond meal and quickly mix together.

Spoon into the baking dish and spread to evenly cover the base. Top with the raspberries, then sprinkle over the cinnamon and extra caster sugar.

Bake in the middle rack of oven for 20 minutes.

While the frangipane is baking make the ANZAC biscuit mix.

In a bowl combine oats, caster sugar, coconut, linseed meal and besan flour.

In a heat proof jug place the butter and golden syrup and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir until the golden syrup and butter emulsify.

Add the boiling water to the butter mix followed by the bicarb soda and mix until bubbles start.

Pour the butter mix into the dry ingredients and mix until evenly combined.

Remove the frangipane from oven after 20 minutes, evenly spread over the apple compote. Then top with the ANZAC biscuit mix loosely to cover. Don’t press the mix down.

Place back into the oven and bake for 40 minutes checking after 30 minutes for doneness and browning. If the crumb is browning cover with foil until cooked.

Once cooked remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.

Great hot or cold.

 

Notes:

Use gluten free oats or Quinoa flakes to keep this recipe gluten free

Besan (chickpea) flour can be found at health food stores, Indian grocers or online.

If you don’t have apples, pears would work perfectly.