It’s that time of year again! Time to whip out the golden syrup and oats and roll yourself some Anzac biscuits to mark Anzac Day 2023, on Tuesday 25 April.
Here, CW shares a classic recipe for the traditional Aussie biscuit and tips for how to bake them just the way you like – chewy or crunchy.
Anzac biscuits
Recipe courtesy of Hayden Quinn for Uncle Tobys.
Makes 15
1 1/4 cups of plain flour, sifted
1 cup Uncle Tobys traditional rolled oats
1/2 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
2 Tbsp golden syrup
150g unsalted butter, chopped
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 1/2 Tbsp boiling water
Preheat oven to 170°C.
Place the flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and stir to combine.
In a small saucepan, place the golden syrup and butter and stir over low heat until the butter has fully melted.
Mix the bicarb soda with 1 1/2 tablespoons boiling water and add to the golden syrup mixture. It will bubble whilst you are stirring together so remove from the heat.
Pour into the dry ingredients and mix together until fully combined. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper, pressing down on the tops to flatten slightly.
Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Tips for baking Anzac biscuits
MasterChef alumnus Hayden Quinn shared some of his top tips for baking Anzac biscuits, which includes buying good quality oats!
- Add a pinch of sea salt flakes before baking to counter the sweetness of the biscuit.
- Spray your measuring spoon with some cooking oil before scooping out your golden syrup to prevent sticking.
- For a chewy Anzac biscuit, bake between 10 and 12 minutes. For a crunchier version, try 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are very brown and let them firm up on the tray.
- Brown your butter before adding it to the other ingredients – this will add a rich nuttiness and a hint of caramel.
- Get them in the oven quick – the dough will dry out so bake them as soon as they’ve been rolled.
- The biscuits will keep for a week in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to two months – once the biscuits have completely cooled, pop them in a zip lock bag and into the freezer.
Anzac biscuit regulations
According to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), the use of the word ‘Anzac’ in the commercial production and sale of Anzac biscuits is usually approved. However, there are a couple of rules for Anzac biscuits that should be adhered to!
The biscuits should not substantially deviate from the generally accepted recipe and shape (no chocolate chips!) and must be referred to as either ‘Anzac biscuits’ or ‘Anzac slice’ – referring to them as ‘Anzac cookies’ is a definite no-go.
Using the word ‘Anzac’ for other food products is not on, either. The DVA says each year it declines permit applications for things like ‘Anzac cheesecakes’, muffins or sandwiches.
There is some good news for those with dietary requirements, though. The DVA doesn’t consider recipes substituting ingredients for dietary requirements to be a deviation and, in some cases, has given permission for the word Anzac to be used for production of Anzac biscuits where ingredients have been substituted for this purpose.
Anzac biscuit recipes that appear on personal social media pages and posts are outside the scope of the regulations.
