The Anzac biscuit is a sweet biscuit made using rolled oats, flour, sugar, butter, or margarine. It also uses golden syrup, baking soda, boiling water, and desiccated coconut. This snack is popular in Australia and New Zealand.
For a long time, Anzac biscuits were synonymous with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), which was founded during World War I. American would likely refer to these as cookies since they are sweet treats.
The original Anzac biscuit is the thicker, crunchier variety. Over time, the original recipe has been modified by cooking variations for less time, making them chewier, or adding more sugar so they’re crispy.
Australian Anzac Biscuits
- Author: Romae Chanice Marquez
- Recipe Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: Australian
The whole preparation and cooking time is at least 1 hour. This recipe is suitable for at least 4 servings, depending on the number of biscuits formed.
Photo credit: @nigellalawson / Instagram.com
Australian Anzac Biscuit Ingredients
- 200g plain flour
- 90g (1 cup) rolled oats
- 90g desiccated coconut
- 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
- 60g caster sugar
- 130g butter
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Australian Anzac Biscuit Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celcius. Line two baking trays with baking paper that is non-stick. In a large bowl, add the flour, oats, coconut, and sugar together.
Step 2: Add the butter, golden syrup, and water over medium heat in a small saucepan until the butter melts, and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the soda bicarbonate.
Step 3: Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until well combined.
Step 4: Form tablespoons of the dough into balls and put them the prepared trays, about five centimeters apart. Flatten them until they are about a centimeter thick.
Step 5: Bake, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
Step 6: Set aside to cool slightly for 10 minutes before being moved to wire racks to cool off completely.
Australian Anzac Biscuit Additional Information
- If you want them soft and chewy, omit the brown sugar and add 155 g (3/4 cup) caster sugar. The cooking time remains identical.
- If you want them dark and crunchy, omit caster sugar and increase to 155 g (3/4 cup, tightly packed) of brown sugar. Bake for eighteen minutes.
- Per serving, this recipe has 222 calories; 9.5 32.9 2.2 20 174
- This recipe will take about 1 hour to prepare and bake.
- This recipe is suitable for at least 4 servings.
Image source: recipetineats.com
About Australian Anzac Biscuits
In an Australian publication, the War Chest Cookery Book, the first known recipe for something called “Anzac Biscuits” appears. Still, this recipe was for a different biscuit rather than what we know as the Anzac biscuit. The same book also included the first two biscuit-like recipes for modern Anzac biscuits, called “Rolled Oats Biscuits” and “Biscuits.”
According to some sources, the recipe depends on the preferences of the cook. For instance, some bakers prefer to sell chewy biscuits. To do this, they shorten the baking time to 15 minutes to make chewy Anzac Biscuits, swapping the trays after eight minutes. These biscuits are kept in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature.
Conclusion
Today, Anzac biscuits are commercially manufactured for retail sale. Such biscuits are still used as a fundraising item for Royal New Zealand Returned Services Association (RSA) and the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) due to their historical military connection with the ANZACs and Anzac Day.
For more international dessert and snack recipes, click here.
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