ANZAC Biscuits (or cookies for my American friends)

[alwaysjbj]

With ANZAC day approaching (25th) I'm planning on doing some baking, and I thought I'd post the recipe for ANZAC Biscuits and a little history for the non-Australian/New Zealanders on my f'list.

Anzac biscuits received their name during the First World War. Up until that time people had been baking “Soldier’s biscuits” for the troops, based on a recipe derived from the Scottish oat cake. The main feature was that no eggs were used otherwise the biscuits would spoil on the long journey to the front.

These were renamed as Anzac biscuits after the campaign at Gallipoli.

ANZAC Biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats (regular oatmeal) uncooked
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp boiling water

Method

Combine the flour (sifted), oats, coconut and sugar in a bowl.
Melt the butter and Golden Syrup in a saucepan over a low heat..

Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the water and add to the butter and Golden Syrup.

Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Spoon dollops of mixture, about the size of a walnut shell, onto a greased tin leaving as much space again between dollops to allow for spreading.

Bake in a moderate oven, 180C / 350F, for 15-20 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack and seal in airtight containers.

Tips

The American tablespoon is a little smaller than the British tablespoon, so be generous with your Golden Syrup and Water.



ETA: Oh yeah... I forgot to mention... keep an eye on them, they burn very easily!

Comments

[married-n-mich.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the history and the recipe. I added this post to my Recipe memories. I might actually make these one day!

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, I hope you enjoy.