Anzac Biscuits

The crunchiness of Anzac Biscuits goes back to the roots of when they were invented – by soldiers’ wives who made biscuits that would stay fresh for the months that it would take to reach soldiers overseas back in the early 1900’s.

The warm sweetness from the golden syrup combined with the wholesome goodness of oats and coconut is a flavour that is unique to this crunchy Australian biscuit!

Anzac Biscuits

Australia’s favourite biscuit! We love them for their buttery caramel flavour, how crunchy they are, that it’s a forgiving recipe and the history – this is a biscuit that Aussies make to commemorate Anzac Day.

“ANZAC” stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. And Anzac Day – 25 April 1915 – is Australia’s most important national occasion each year, marking the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War during which we suffered heavy casualties.

It is said that the wives of soldiers came up with the original Anzac Biscuits using ingredients such that the biscuits stayed fresh for the weeks it took to reach the soldiers overseas. I’m told that the original Anzac biscuits were as hard as a rock, so hard in fact that some soldiers would grind them up and use them as porridge.

I think Anzac biscuits as we know them today are much more to my liking! 😂

Here’s what you need (not much!)

Golden syrup

The only ingredient that might not be familiar to those outside of Australia and the UK is golden syrup. It’s an amber coloured syrup with the consistency of honey, and it has a toffee flavour. It has a bit of a harsh edge to the flavour so I only use it for baking, though some people use it in place of maple syrup for things like pancakes.

Best substitute for golden syrup is a combination of light molasses or treacle, plus honey. I use 1 part molasses or treacle, and 3 parts honey – the flavour is nearly identical, and the colour is very similar (a bit darker).

The making part is very straight forward – melt butter with golden syrup, add the baking soda then mix it into the dry ingredients. Roll into balls, flatten and bake.

Should Anzac biscuits chewy or crisp??

Apparently, the question of whether Anzac biscuits should be crisp or chewy is a topic of huge debate. 🤷🏻‍♀️

In my world, there’s no question. Anzac biscuits should be crispy, crispy, crispy!!! Just like the original created by the soldiers’ wives over a century ago! 🙂

But actually, if you want chewy it’s very simple – just reduce the bake time by a few minutes.

See? Anzac biscuits for all! – Nagi x

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Anzac Biscuits (Golden Oatmeal Cookies)

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 30 mins

Cookies

Australian

4.94 from 15 votes

Servings16 - 18

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Recipe video above. The great Aussie Anzac biscuits!! Crispy and buttery, a beautiful deep golden colour with a toffee flavour. They will stay crunchy for a week and though they will soften, still fresh for another week!

Ingredients

• 1 cup (150g) plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 1 cup (100g) rolled oats
• 1 cup (80g) desiccated coconut , unsweetened
• 3/4 cup (165g) white sugar , preferably caster / superfine
• 150g / 5oz unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp golden syrup (Note 1)
• 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate soda)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan forced)
• Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
• Mix flour, oats, coconut and sugar in a bowl.  
• Place butter and golden syrup in a saucepan over medium high heat and stir until butter has melted.
• Add baking soda and stir to combine - it will fizz up, this is normal. Immediately remove from heat.
• Pour butter mixture into flour and mix until just combined.
• Roll level 1 tablespoon mixture into balls, flatten into patties. Place balls, 2.5 cm/1" apart, on prepared trays.
• Bake for 15 minutes, swapping trays halfway during cooking, or until deep golden. (Bake 12 min for chewy biscuits!)
• Stand on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool - they harden as they cool!

Recipe Notes:

1. Golden syrup - amber coloured sweet syrup primarily used for baking purposes in Australia and in the UK. Has a caramel-like flavour. Best substitutes:

• 1 tbsp light molasses + 3 tbsp honey or light corn syrup
• 1 tbsp treacle + 3 tbsp honey or light corn syrup

2. Oats & batter consistency - Different brands of oats can have different levels of absorbency. Your dough should be firm enough so that you can roll it into balls without it sticking to your hands, but pliable and wet enough so that you can flatten the balls without the dough crumbling. If your dough is too sticky, add more flour, if it is too dry, add more melted butter. Don't worry about playing around with this recipe - it's a pretty forgiving biscuit dough!

3. Storage - Anzac cookies stay crisp for about a week in an airtight container. After that, they soften a bit but are still good! If the biscuits go soft, they can be crisped up in the oven - 5 minutes at 180C / 350F.

4. Nutrition per biscuit.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 19gCalories: 74kcalCarbohydrates: 14.3g (5%)Protein: 1.1g (2%)Fat: 1.6g (2%)Saturated Fat: 1.2g (6%)Sodium: 56mg (2%)Potassium: 30mg (1%)Fiber: 0.8g (3%)Sugar: 6.9gIron: 3%

Keywords: Anzac biscuits

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Anzac biscuits originally published July 2014. Updated with new photos, new video and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added! No change to recipe.

Life of Dozer

When you watch my recipe videos, just know that Dozer is always just out of the frame!