THE humble Anzac biscuit will take centre stage during this year's The Land Cookery Competition run by the Country Women's Association of NSW (CWA).
As the nation looks to mark the Anzac Centenary in April, the CWA has included a special Anzac section in the 2014-15 competition schedule.
The entries - expected from both members and non-members - will be judged during the CWA's annual conference to be held in Tamworth from May 4 to 7.
"The CWA wanted to mark the Anzac centenary, and we thought we'd take inspiration from the care packages sent from home to soldiers on the front line," said The Land Cookery Competition Committee chairwoman Bronwyn Dunston, Jerry's Plains (pictured).
"These packages often included fruit cakes and Anzacs, and the contents - made from staples such as flour, sugar and butter - were mostly wrapped in brown paper and posted in shoe boxes," she said.
The Anzac "biscuit" of 1915 looked quite different to the modern favourite.
"The originals Anzacs were slabs rather than individual biscuits and were quite hard by the time they arrived so soldiers would break pieces off to soak with water and eat as a kind of porridge," Mrs Dunston said.
For entries to be eligible, the "care packages" must contain a small fruit cake (measuring 9.5 centimetres wide x 6.5cm high) partnered with a single Anzac biscuit slab (measuring 15cm x 15cm x 3cm deep).
They will be wrapped in brown paper and judged in shoeboxes, which the CWA will provide.
The accepted ingredients will be: rolled oats, white sugar, plain flour, honey, water and bicarb soda.
Mrs Dunston said any fruit cake recipe could be used, it just had to conform to the measurements, and also be wrapped in brown paper.
With 30 CWA groups across NSW, Mrs Dunston said the CWA was seeking permission from the Defence Department to send the entries, after judging, to Australian soldiers stationed overseas.
Contact Bronwyn Dunston, 0428 764 070.
