https://thepaddingtonfoodie.com/2014/04/25/lest-we-forget-april-25th-a-day-of-commemoration-anzac-day-granola/

By the time you read this we will have returned from the 4.30 am Dawn Service at the Centopath in Martin Place, Sydney, and dropped in for a fortifying espresso at the Coluzzi Bar in Darlinghurst before heading home for a very early breakfast of ANZAC Day Granola. Not madness but all for a good cause. Today in Australia and New Zealand we’re celebrating ANZAC Day. In commemoration of the bravery of all the men and women who have served our countries through  war.  

The Centopath (which means ’empty tomb’) was originally erected in 1929 to honour the many soldiers who had died abroad defending our country in  World War I. Martin Place, widely considered to be the heart of the nation at that time, also happened to be where many Australian soldiers enlisted in the war.  It’s therefore  fitting that Sydney’s dawn service is held here. Poignant and hauntingly beautiful, it’s a requiem service at half-light. Accompanied by a traditional two minutes of silence, to remember those who had fallen, that ends with a lone bugle call of the Last Post.

In anticipation of our very early start I’ve made an ANZAC Day Granola. A modern twist on the traditional ANZAC biscuit originally baked by soldiers’ wives and mothers during World War I, and packed in food parcels to be sent to loved ones in the trenches. Made of rolled oats, sugar, plain flour, coconut, butter, golden syrup, bi-carbonate of soda and boiling water. All  items that did not readily spoil and were able to withstand the long voyage to the troops by sea.

In this reinterpretation I’ve taken the essential ingredients of that traditional ANZAC biscuit and incorporated them into a gorgeously crisp and golden granola.  A deliciously deconstructed version of the original Country Women’s Association recipe which can be found in one of my earlier posts  Sustaining the Troops. Good Old Fashioned ANZAC Biscuits.  Perfect fare for an ANZAC Day breakfast. Particularly delicious when teamed with another popular Australian institution a generous tablespoon of  malted chocolate flavoured Milo in your milk. A combination that’s obviously too inviting to resist. Just ask the pair of native currawongs that gate crashed my photo shoot, up ended the glass of milo and helped themselves to a whole bowl of ANZAC Day granola.

Anzac Day Granola
Makes 3 cups

1 1/2 cups traditional rolled oats
3/4 cup shredded coconut
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence

PREHEAT a fan forced oven to 170C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
PLACE all dry ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well to combine.
WHISK together the oil, golden syrup and vanilla in a small jug and drizzle over the dry ingredients, mixing well to ensure everything is well coated.
SPREAD mixture in an even layer over the prepared  tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and toasty, stirring every 3 minutes or so to ensure the nuts and coconut do not burn.
COOL and store in an air tight container.