A is for Anzac Biscuits for Australia Day

For me the quintessential Australian biscuit (apart from the Iced VoVo) is the Anzac Biscuit. And while they are normally associated with Anzac Day on April 25, they are currently Bee’s favourite biscuit and her standard answer when asked what sort of biscuits we should make for morning tea.

There are as many variations to the recipe for Anzac Biscuits as there are variations to the story of where they came from.  You can read about the origin of Anzac Biscuits on this ANZAC Day site.

Here is how we make Anzac Biscuits in the threefootcooks household.

Anzac Biscuits 

You can download a free recipe card for Anzac Biscuits here.

Makes approx 24 biscuits (that's if your kids don't try and eat all the biscuit mix before it's cooked like Bear and Bee do!)

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats (original not instant)

1 cup desiccated or shredded coconut

1 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 cup plain flour

125g unsalted butter

1 tablespoon golden syrup

3 tablespoons hot water

1 teaspoon bicarb (baking) soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170^oC and line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

Bear measuring the flour under the watchful eye of Bee.

Adding the rest of the dry ingredients.

Mixing the dry ingredients.

2. Place oats, coconut, sugar and flour in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine and make a well in the centre.


3. Melt butter in small saucepan over a medium heat.

4. Add syrup and hot water and mix well.

5. Remove from heat and stir in bicarb soda.  This mix will foam up at this stage but not too much.

Adding the melted butter mix.

Mix thoroughly.

6. Pour the butter mix into the oats mixture and stir.

7. Place level tablespoons of mixture onto trays making sure to allow enough room for spreading.  If you like chewy biscuits leave the mix rounded on the tray.  If you like crunchier biscuits, flatten the mix slightly.

8. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Yum!

9. Cool for 1-2 minutes on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack.

Variations

To vary the taste you could add these ingredients in with the oats – 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, or ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts, or 1 teaspoon ground ginger.

This also makes a great slice for lunchboxes.  Just leave out the bicarb soda and replace the 1 cup of plain flour with ½ cup plain flour and ½ cup self raising flour (flour with baking powder added). Bake in a lined slice tray at 180^oC for 20-25 minutes.

It’s very good as a crumble topping for apples, apricots or other fruits that bake well.