THE best national events have good food traditions attached to them

Easter hot cross buns, Parkin eaten around the bonfire on plot night and coins hidden in the Christmas pudding, being just a few of them.

However, one you may not be so familiar with is Anzac Day (April 25), and these delicious Anzac biscuits are associated with the special day and are traditionally baked and eaten then.

So, what a tribute it would be for me to publish an original First World War Anzac biscuit recipe?

They originated from Down Under when wives, mothers and loved ones would make these oaty biscuits to send to Anzac (Austrian and New Zealand Army Corps) troops fighting in Turkey.

The ingredients did not spoil easily, being durable and designed to withstand naval transportation. They had a long shelf-life so they were a good substitute to bread, satisfying the troops both past and present.

The simplicity of the recipe also makes them perfect for any low-tech kitchen, or beginner home-baker of any age.

All you really need is a mixing bowl, a wooden spoon and baking tray and you’re only a short wait away from its amazing combinations of oats, coconut and browning butter. They are utterly irresistible.

The most notable ingredient missing from this recipe is eggs: that’s because of the scarcity of them during the war when most poultry farmers joined the war effort. This helped make these biscuits crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle.

Today, the Anzac biscuit is manufactured commercially for retail sale throughout the world, and because of the military connection with these biscuits, they are often used as a fundraising item here in the UK to support the Royal British Legion.

The term Anzac is a protected name and cannot be used without permission, but is generally exempt as long as these biscuits remain basically true to the original recipe and sold as Anzac biscuits rather than as cookies.

Celebrating camaraderie, Haworth 1940s weekend is fast approaching on May 19-21.

This week’s recipe is a fantastic one to cut out, and bake a few batches of these easy bikkies, pack them in a Billy Can along with a flask of Gunfire Coffee (black coffee) with a splash of rum, and then head for Haworth park for a picnic.

But do remember when eating and handing around your Anzac biscuits, it’s not the recipe source that’s important here, but the spirit and sacrifice of soldiers who inspired the name. Lest we forget!

Please support and make this year’s 1940s weekend a great success and one to remember, as a lot of hard work and planning goes into organising it, with profits going to SSAFA, the Military Charity.

There will be a variety of vintage vehicles, re-enactments, live music and dancing, and a fair and market in Central Park.