This Delicious and Easy ANZAC Biscuits recipe is an Australian and New Zealand favorite that combines oats, flour, golden syrup, butter and coconut flakes for a historical and delicious cookie.
What is an ANZAC Biscuit?
What is ANZAC?
If you don’t know, as I didn’t know, then let me tell you a little bit about the ANZAC biscuits history.
The first time I saw these ANZAC biscuits or ANZAC cookies as we might call them here in the U.S., was in Sydney, Australia in a bakery on the Circular Quay. I thought the name was interesting and wanted to understand where it came from, so I asked. The store employee told me that they were biscuits that were sent to the Australian and New Zealand soldiers during World War I and that they didn’t spoil easily since they didn’t contain any eggs.
These golden, sweet, crunchy ANZAC cookies were delicious, and I wanted to learn a little more, so I found this ANZAC Biscuit post on Wikipedia. Basically, these biscuits were both sent to soldiers and also sold at bake sales to raise funds for the war.
What is ANZAC? After some research, I found that when the first contingent of Australian and New Zealand troops were traveling to the war front, they were going to name the group the Australasian Army Corps. However, the New Zealand troops didn’t like this and complained about the name. So, they renamed the group, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The administration clerks found the title too cumbersome and quickly adopted the abbreviation A. & N.Z.A.C. or simply ANZAC. For you history buffs, you can learn more here on the ANZAC page on Wikipedia.
Okay, so that concludes your ANZAC biscuits history lesson for the day!
I have to tell you that Sydney, Australia is so fun! Especially, feeding the kangaroos…
and petting the koalas!
I will have to create a travel post for Sydney, Australia, but for now, on to the recipe.
How do you make ANZAC biscuits?
First, you start with these ANZAC biscuit ingredients:
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
¾ cup unsweetened flaked coconut
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 tablespoon golden syrup (or substitute light corn syrup)
You may not be familiar with the golden syrup, but if you want an authentic ANZAC biscuit, then pick up some Lyle’s Golden Syrup from this Amazon link or your local gourmet store if they carry it.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl mix the oats, flour, sugar, and coconut together.
In a small saucepan use low heat to melt the syrup and butter together.
In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and then add the soda to the melted butter and syrup mixture.
Stir to combine them. Be careful with this step because if the butter is hot the mixture will bubble up a lot.
Pour the butter mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix well.
The final biscuit dough will look like the photo below.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll into balls and place on the lined baking sheets, leaving plenty of room for them to spread. Eight per sheet works well.
The little cookie scoop in the photo below works well to make these biscuit dough balls.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. They should be golden brown and firm, but not dark brown or hard. See the photo below.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.
These are so good! Make some this week and have a taste of Australia and New Zealand!
Just look at that golden color on these historical cookies!
When you eat these crunchy ANZAC biscuits, you are having a bite of history!
Delicious and Easy ANZAC Biscuits Recipe
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened flaked coconut
- ½ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup - or substitute light corn syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl mix the oats, flour, sugar, and coconut together.
- In a small saucepan use low heat to melt the syrup and butter together.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and then add the soda to the melted butter and syrup mixture. Stir to combine them. Be careful with this step because if the butter is hot the mixture will bubble up a lot.
- Pour the butter mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix well.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll into balls and place on the lined baking sheets, leaving plenty of room for them to spread. Eight per sheet works well. Note that if your dough is too crumbly, then the cookies will not flatten out, so add a tablespoon or two of water to get the non-crumbly dough that is needed. Also, don't wait to roll and bake these cookies as the oats will absorb more liquid and the cookies won't flatten out if that happens either.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. They should be golden brown and firm, but not dark brown or hard.
- Transfer to wire racks to cool.
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