Anzac biscuits
A golden, crunchy biscuit made from rolled oats, coconut, and golden syrup, without eggs for better preservation. Caramelised, comforting, built to last.
A golden, crunchy biscuit made from rolled oats, coconut, and golden syrup, without eggs for better preservation. Caramelised, comforting, built to last.
Here's a biscuit that won't let you down: no eggs, so it keeps for weeks in a desk drawer or at the bottom of a suitcase for London. Rolled oats, coconut, golden syrup, and a bit of bicarbonate that makes it foam — and the house smells like caramel. They used to send them in parcels to those far away; for me, it's my anti-slump afternoon stash.
- •Rolled oats — a bowl (structure)
- •Desiccated coconut — a handful (texture)
- •Golden syrup — a good spoonful (binder, caramel)
- •Butter — a knob (fat)
- •Bicarbonate of soda — a pinch (leavening)
Anzac biscuits
A golden, crunchy biscuit made from rolled oats, coconut, and golden syrup, without eggs for better preservation. Caramelised, comforting, built to last.
Why this dish? The biscuit that keeps and travels: no eggs, so it lasts weeks, making it the ideal package for soldiers. For a researcher commuting Perth–London, it's the quintessential desk and suitcase snack.
Here's a biscuit that won't let you down: no eggs, so it keeps for weeks in a desk drawer or at the bottom of a suitcase for London. Rolled oats, coconut, golden syrup, and a bit of bicarbonate that makes it foam — and the house smells like caramel. They used to send them in parcels to those far away; for me, it's my anti-slump afternoon stash.
Ingredients (period version)
- Rolled oats — a bowl (structure)
- Desiccated coconut — a handful (texture)
- Golden syrup — a good spoonful (binder, caramel)
- Butter — a knob (fat)
- Bicarbonate of soda — a pinch (leavening)
Ingredients
- Rolled oats — 100 g (structure)
- Flour — 100 g (structure)
- Desiccated coconut — 75 g (texture)
- Sugar — 100 g (sweetener)
- Butter — 125 g (fat)
- Golden syrup — 2 tbsp (caramel binder)
- Bicarbonate of soda — 1 tsp (leavening)
- Boiling water — 2 tbsp (activates bicarbonate)
Method
- Mix oats, flour, coconut, and sugar in a bowl.
- Gently melt butter with golden syrup.
- Dissolve bicarbonate in boiling water, add to melted butter (it will foam), then pour over dry ingredients and mix.
- Shape into small balls, flatten on a lined tray, spacing them (they spread).
- Bake at 160°C for about 12–15 minutes: golden for a chewy centre, darker for a crunchy biscuit.
- Cool on the tray where they harden, then store in an airtight container.
How it was made : Anzac biscuits are associated with Australian and New Zealand soldiers of World War I: the absence of eggs allowed them to be shipped without spoiling during the long sea voyage. Their recipe and name are now protected in Australia.
The contemporary twist : Slightly underbake for a chewy centre, dip half in dark chocolate, or serve crumbled over vanilla ice cream.
Colin MacLeod · Charactorium