Anzac Biscuits

From the kitchen of Carly

Australian and New Zealand classic: chewy oat-and-coconut biscuits sweetened with golden syrup. Originally baked to ship to soldiers in World War I because they keep for weeks. Now they keep about 4 days, because everyone eats them. Pull them when the centers still look slightly soft. They firm up as they cool; overbaked is the cookie killer.

Anzac Biscuits
Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Total
20 min
Servings
18
Difficulty
easy

Ingredients

18 servings

  • 85 grolled oats
  • 85 gdesiccated coconut
  • 100 gall-purpose flour
  • 100 gcaster or granulated sugar
  • 100 gunsalted butter
  • 1 tbspgolden syrup (or light corn syrup)
  • 1 tspbaking soda

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, desiccated coconut, flour, and sugar. Mix well.

  3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the golden syrup until smooth and combined.

  4. Mix the baking soda into 2 tbsp of boiling water in a small cup. Stir this into the butter-and-syrup mixture in the saucepan. It should foam up a little; that's expected.

  5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until everything is evenly combined. The dough will look thick and slightly oily.

  6. Drop dessertspoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2.5cm (1 inch) between cookies. They spread.

  7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown around the edges but still slightly soft in the centers.

  8. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes (they're fragile when hot), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They firm up as they cool into the chewy-crisp signature texture.

  9. Store in an airtight container at room temperature 4 days, or freeze 3 months.

Substitutions
  • golden syrup to light corn syrup or 50/50 honey and molasses. Golden syrup is the traditional UK and Aus product. Corn syrup is the closest US substitute; the honey-molasses blend mimics the deeper flavor.
  • desiccated coconut to shredded sweetened coconut + reduce sugar by 25g. Most US groceries stock sweetened, not desiccated. Cut the sugar to compensate.
  • rolled oats to quick-cooking oats. Rolled oats give chewier texture; quick-cooking gives a finer, slightly softer crumb. Both work.

Pairs well with: A pot of strong black tea with milk (the proper move), Cold milk for the children at the table, Vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two for dessert

Adapted from TheMealDB.