Good afternoon everyone,
For the second iteration of Anzac biscuits being on the menu, we thought that some history and context might be appreciated by avid readers of the newsletter. Fortunately for us, this has been compiled by Emma, who joined us from Melbourne a year ago:
“The biscuit was originally made for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzacs, for short) fighting in WWI. The combination of oats, golden syrup, dried coconut, butter and flour made for an extremely high calorie biscuit that had a long enough shelf life to survive the boat trip from home to the troops. The original recipe is taken very seriously, and if you deviate from it too much or call it a 'cookie' instead of a 'biscuit' (when selling them for commercial gain) you could be fined up to $51,000 AUD or sent to prison for 12 months.
Growing up this biscuit was THE go-to for my family and was made in many different ways by grandmas/aunts/multi-national corporations. When my sister and I were 10 and 8 respectively, our parents decided to enter us into the baking portion of ‘The Royal Melbourne Show.' Subcategory: Anzacs…. We were quite nonchalant about it, did no tests and just baked our bikkies on the day we were told to submit our entries. Neither of us placed but we loved going into the judging room and seeing Anzac after Anzac on paper plates.
Like many things, Anzac biscuits exist on a spectrum. They range from chewy to crunchy, and from soft and crumbly to flat and crispy and there’s also the ratio of oats to coconut to consider. Now I know better, and after doing much more testing than I did at 10 years old, next week we will be aiming for the chewy/crispy category and will brown the butter (which they may have done in 1914!) to amp up the butterscotchy-ness. It is a huge honour to share this piece of my country and family’s history with the people of Oxford, so I hope you enjoy!”
Emma’s chewy Anzacs will sit alongside the zesty lemon and ricotta cake made with the ‘sfusato Amalfitano' lemons that arrive with us each week from Italy. With a thicker rind and delicate juicy flesh, these lemons are packed with aromatic compounds that sing alongside the fragrant Spanish almonds that enrich the cake. The fool bun also returns; the crème diplomat is now a vibrant cerise pink from the Worcestershire cherry compote that has been swirled through it. And this week, our financier is made with Piedmont hazelnuts and jammy figs for the perfect afternoon treat.
Last week’s phone call with Neal’s Yard has brought a brace of infrequent visitors to the Hamblin fridge: Hay-on-Wye and Shropshire Blue. Ash-rinded, Hay-on-Wye is loosely inspired by the French goat’s cheese Selles-sur-Cher but is made at the Neal’s Yard Creamery in Herefordshire, using milk from a neighbouring farm ‘Wychmoor’ in Titley. It is dense and smooth-textured with bright citrus notes. The Shropshire Blue is made by the team behind Colston Bassett Stilton in Nottinghamshire. Naturally coloured with annatto, this week’s batch is packed with savoury, yeasty flavours and a light pepperiness from the bluing. Crumbly-textured, it would make the perfect supper on a warm day, smothered onto a slice of oat loaf toast.
This week also marks our penultimate pizza night before the summer break. After the success of the new toppings a fortnight ago, we are keeping the menu the same for this Sunday too. There will be a couple of tweaks, with the Bianca and Potato pizza acquiring some more rosemary, Bergkäse cheese and a grating of Parmesan as it leaves the oven, and the wild garlic on the sausage pizza being boosted using Hugo’s fermented supplies made in May. Please see the full menu below:
MARGHERITA: tomato sauce, cheddar curds, buffalo mozzarella, parmesan
ARTICHOKE & OLIVE: tomato sauce, cheddar curds, artichoke hearts, black olives, buffalo mozzarella
HAM, ARTICHOKE & OLIVE: tomato sauce, cheddar curds, artichoke hearts, black olives, ham, buffalo mozzarella
SAUSAGE, GARLIC & CHILLI: tomato sauce, cheddar curds, wild garlic and chilli sausage, parmesan
BIANCA & POTATO: white base, Bergkäse cheese, potato, rosemary, parmesan
To finish, we see the return of the Amalfi lemon posset, topped with softly whipped cream and a sprinkle of shortbread crumbs, a refreshing close to a meal and also available on Sunday for those who can’t wait until the evening.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read our musings.
The Hamblin Team
12th July 2026 Bikkies on the counter