This recipe is totally rubbish, frankly. I only noticed it because i adore these iconic cookies nibbles (it is illegal to refer to Anzacs as cookies!) and this particular version does not include coconut, which, on reflection was probably a typo. Have you ever heard of anzac biscuits without coconut? Exactly my point.

My son can not eat coconut, so i was easily seduced into trying something new for him. It was apparent fairly early that the ingredients were not doing what they should, so i winged it. If you want that burnt-sugar hit, a deep full-throated caramel crunch with a hint of chewy oat .. well, my version worked. I'll be making them again, for sure.

Heat oven to 160ºC.

In a pan, gently melt 125g of butter with 2 tablespoons of golden syrup. Leave to cool slightly and add 170g of porridge oats, 100g self raising flour, 125g caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.








Take a teaspoon of mixture and roll into a ball, place on a silicone bake tray, flatten slightly with a fork. Repeat, but do not underestimate how these biscuits spread. Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. If, like mine, your biscuits spread into each other, divide with the blunt edge of a baking slice while they are still soft and pliable. Allow to cool completely on a rack before eating, if you can.






My children are elsewhere for the weekend, the house is silent and still. The playroom looks oddly paralysed, as if held in suspension until they return. I indulge myself in solitude, in pleasures, in thought and deeds which are purely for myself. I feel myself expanding into this vacuum, and may not leave this private haven for the duration.

**update** If you don't recognise the date/name; it is Anzac Day today, which is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, and is commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I and also to commemorate the soldiers who fought in France and Belgium. Anzac Day is also observed in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga.

The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as Anzacs. The ingredients for these sturdy biscuits do not spoil easily so they kept well during naval transportation to loved ones who were fighting abroad.

A simple marinade for chicken (adapted from Nigella Lawson's Buttermilk Roast Chicken):

Into a plastic bag pour 300ml buttermilk with 30ml olive oil, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, a big pinch of salt, lots of ground pepper, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Add approximately 500g of chicken - breasts, thighs or drumsticks - and massage gently. Leave overnight or for a few hours in the fridge, or for an hour or so at room temperature just before cooking. Shake of excess marinade, drizzle with a little extra oil and roast in a hot oven. Serve with coleslaw and a new potato salad.

Dusting bookshelves this morning i noticed that my husband is removing cookbooks. There are odd gaps in lines that used to be packed tight; the bookshelves bulged fit to burst with 500 volumes, but now spines sag crookedly. This dissolving of the household is inevitable, but i am determined not to fight over possessions, particularly when books are so replaceable. It does, however, encourage me to explore some of the titles that i don't usually pick up.

It is hard to read these books and see my husband's writing - he always made notes about recipes in the margin of books, and often added whether i enjoyed the dish.



I found a little volume of Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking ("a plump wife and a big barn never did any man harm"), full of recipes which are characteristically short and often sweet. There is a recipe for Rivel (crumb) pie, with 3 simple ingredients of flour, sugar and fat, also Sand Tarts and Flannel Cakes. I am tempted to try Spaetzle, which i recognise from my time as a swiss housewife.

From Lindsey Bareham's Just One Pot; Aromatic lamb curry with spinach (with personal adjustments).

For a marinade; 5 tablespoons of plain yoghurt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin and 3 cloves of garlic and a finger of fresh ginger (5cm), peeled and finely chopped. Add 500g of diced lamb steak and stir.





Peel and chop a large onion. Cook on a high heat for a couple of minutes, then sprinkle with a little salt, another 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 1 tsp of ground coriander, a big pinch of chilli powder, a bay leaf, 4 cloves, seeds from 4 cardamon pods. Stir well and cook gently for 10 minutes.





Increase the heat, add the meat and marinade. Cook briskly to brown the meat; the sauce will thicken. Sprinkle with a pinch of sweet paprika and add a tin of chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 30 minutes. Just before serving add a bunch of chopped and blanched spinach and heat.

There are countless recipes for fish stew, but this was my version from last night. It filled the house with a perfect combination of sweet tomato and the sun-drenched aroma of dried herbs to drive off the chill of a wet spring evening.

A large, solid pot, a little heated oil. Two fat leeks and a green pepper, sliced, 2 diced courgette and a couple of large garlic cloves, crushed: soften gently without colouring. When the vegetables are sweetly melting together add a tin of chopped tomatoes and an extra half pint of water, a bay leaf, a little dried thyme, fennel seeds (i was generous), and a few strands of saffron (first moistened in a ladle of the liquid). I would have added a curl of orange peel, if i had had one to hand.

Then peel and slice 4 potatoes into 1cm thick rounds, add to the pot with extra water to fully cover. Simmer until potato is almost cooked, then add fillets of firm, white fish .. maybe some shellfish if you have some to hand. It will take only a couple more minutes on the heat to finish off.

*

Today i tackled some *husband* jobs - clearing the shed of broken toys and cobwebs, cutting grass, taking rubbish to the tip. My 8 year old showed me how to empty the grass cuttings from the lawnmower; we made a good team.

Next i shall start with the power tools.

I didn't make a birthday cake; i have so little time/privacy for thought or deed at the moment, and extra baking is not on the agenda.

Slices of chocolate sponge on the bottom of the dish, a sprinkling of port, then some raspberries and cherries. A raspberry jelly poured over and allowed to set. A layer of barely warm custard on top, then, the following day, a blanket of fragile and light whipped cream. The strawberries i rescued from the breakfast table, and the pale green squiggles are strips of candied angelica. I have always enjoyed the fresh green flavour, whether as the sweet treat on top of a cake, or as the sticky green liquor in the Chartreuse Barrel from the selection of my mother's favourite Terry's Old Gold Chocolates.