Anzac biscuits

On ANZAC day, there is the dawn service, the parade, and of course, these great biscuits. Anzac biscuits (cookies for our North American friends) are so named as allegedly they were good biscuits for wives and girlfriends to send to their loved ones in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at war. Because they were baked without the use of eggs, it was said that they did not spoil and would make the long journey intact.

This is one of my favourite recipes, and often requested by the kids. I like to make large biscuits/cookies that are still a little soft in the centre, but they are equally delicious when they are crisp.

Makes 18 large biscuits or loads more smaller ones. Don’t wait another year to try baking them – they’re just as good for the other 364 days of the year.

ANZAC BISCUITS

Makes: 18 large cookies or lots of smaller ones
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup of plain flour
• 1 cup of desiccated coconut
• ½ cup of caster sugar
• ½ cup of brown sugar
• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 125g unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon of golden syrup
• 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tablespoons boiling water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 F / Gas mark 4.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Melt the butter and golden syrup together in a small saucepan.
4. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water, then add it to the butter / golden syrup mix and watch it froth!
5. Add the frothy butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir well.
6. Line a baking tray or two with baking paper, and spoon tablespoons of cookie dough onto the paper, leaving room for the biscuits to spread.
7. Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden, or cooked to your liking.
8. Leave to cool on tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire stand for a further 5 minutes. Grab one before the kids take them all.

TIP
By using both caster sugar and brown sugar you get a lovely colour and shape.