Lunch Lady vs White Wings, Round One, Anzac Biscuits

Lunch Lady vs White Wings, Round One, Anzac Biscuits
19 March 2014

I have learnt recently that it is easier to not get all high and mighty and annoyed about pre packed things. See my pavgate experience on instagram. But when I came across these White Wings Lunchbox Heroes in the supermarket the other day I thought enough was enough.

I understand that mums are busy. I GET IT! I am a mum. I am busy! And I also understand there are mums out there who are scared of baking. It can be daunting. But anzac bickies are so bloody simple. And I want to show you how simple they are. You CAN do it. You CAN do it without these silly boxes.

I will not stand for this pre mixed ridiculousness. This first White Wings Challenge is a perfect example of the bullshit these companies feed time poor and confidence poor mums.

And I am going to break it down for you. With pure facts.

Anzac Biscuits

What you need

Homemade

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup dessicated coconut
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 125g butter
• 2 tbs golden syrup
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

White Wings

• Wheat flour
• Rolled oats
• Coconut
• 40ml water
• 100g margarine
• Preservative 220
• Vegetable fats and oils (emulsifiers 471, 477, soy lecithin)
• Antioxidant 320
• Molasses powder (wheat)
• Raising agents (341, sodium bicarbonate)
• Natural flavour
• (Made on a production line that also produces products containing egg, milk, almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts)

Prep time to make these suckers

Homemade
4 minutes 37 seconds

White Wings
3 minutes and 19 seconds

What you need to do

Homemade

1. Preheat oven to 160˚C degrees. Use 2 non-stick baking trays, or line them with non-stick baking paper.
2. Sift flour into a large bowl, add the oats, coconut and brown sugar. Stir together.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, golden syrup and 2 tablespoons of water together over a medium heat until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda. The liquid should froth up a bit.
4. Pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
5. Roll level tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place on trays about 5cm apart (to allow for them spreading). Press with a fork lightly to flatten slightly.
6. Do not worry if you have some left over dry mixture in the bottom of the bowl, just dispose of that.
7. Bake for 10 mins or until golden brown.

White Wings

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C. Grease or line 2 biscuit trays with baking paper.
2. Place biscuit mix, melted margarine spread and water into a medium mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden until well combined. Wet hands and roll the mix into 24 balls and place on trays, leaving approx. 10 between balls. Flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 13 – 14 minutes for soft biscuits or 14 – 15 minutes for crunchy.
4. Cool biscuits on the tray for 5 minutes, then place on the wire rack to cool.

I am just putting the facts out there. I have not made anything up, I haven’t staged anything, I haven’t photoshopped a certain side of the frame to make one look better than the other and I am not sure about you, but I would be more than happy to give up that extra 1 minute and 22 seconds (I think I worked out those maths right) to feed my kids something made with ingredients from my cupboard rather than from a bunch of numbers and ingredients that MAY contain traces of other shit that is made on the same production line.

Busy mums, it ain’t hard! Let’s feed our kids real food. It is so bloody simple.