flipANZAC biscuits with golden syrup
ANZAC biscuits with golden syrup
Why this dish? The ANZAC biscuit, egg-free, keeps for weeks: it was created to be sent to Australian soldiers abroad. For a singer who spent her life touring between Sydney, London, Venice, and New York, this sturdy biscuit that travels without spoiling is the ideal trunk companion.
A golden, crunchy oat and coconut biscuit bound with golden syrup and bicarbonate. Without eggs or fragile ingredients, it withstands long journeys and stays crisp in a tin.
When you're dashing from one opera house to another, my dear, you don't always have proper sustenance at hand between two trains. I always slipped a tin of these biscuits into my luggage: no egg, so they keep and keep, and the golden syrup gives them that little caramel taste that comforts a tired traveler. A cup of tea, two ANZAC biscuits, and you find your courage again before the next rehearsal.
- •Rolled oats — two cups (rustic base, crunch)
- •Desiccated coconut — one cup (flavor, texture)
- •Flour — one cup (structure)
- •Sugar — one cup (sweetness)
- •Golden syrup — two tablespoons (binder, caramel flavor — the signature)
- •Butter — a good piece (richness)
- •Baking soda — a pinch (lightness)
ANZAC biscuits with golden syrup
A golden, crunchy oat and coconut biscuit bound with golden syrup and bicarbonate. Without eggs or fragile ingredients, it withstands long journeys and stays crisp in a tin.
Why this dish? The ANZAC biscuit, egg-free, keeps for weeks: it was created to be sent to Australian soldiers abroad. For a singer who spent her life touring between Sydney, London, Venice, and New York, this sturdy biscuit that travels without spoiling is the ideal trunk companion.
When you're dashing from one opera house to another, my dear, you don't always have proper sustenance at hand between two trains. I always slipped a tin of these biscuits into my luggage: no egg, so they keep and keep, and the golden syrup gives them that little caramel taste that comforts a tired traveler. A cup of tea, two ANZAC biscuits, and you find your courage again before the next rehearsal.
Ingredients (period version)
- Rolled oats — two cups (rustic base, crunch)
- Desiccated coconut — one cup (flavor, texture)
- Flour — one cup (structure)
- Sugar — one cup (sweetness)
- Golden syrup — two tablespoons (binder, caramel flavor — the signature)
- Butter — a good piece (richness)
- Baking soda — a pinch (lightness)
Ingredients
- Rolled oats — 100 g (crunchy base)
- Desiccated coconut — 85 g (flavor, texture)
- Flour — 100 g (structure)
- Sugar — 100 g (sweetness)
- Golden syrup — 2 tbsp (binder and caramel flavor (signature))
- Butter — 100 g (richness)
- Baking soda — 1/2 tsp (lightness)
- Boiling water — 1 tbsp (activates baking soda)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. Mix the oats, coconut, flour, and sugar in a bowl.
- Gently melt the butter with the golden syrup.
- Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water, add to the melted butter (the mixture will foam), then pour over the dry ingredients and mix.
- Form small balls, flatten slightly on a lined baking sheet, spacing them apart.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until a nice golden color. Let cool on the sheet: they harden as they cool.
- Store in an airtight container.
How it was made : Developed during World War I to be sent to ANZAC troops (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), these biscuits deliberately contain no eggs so they keep during long sea voyages. Golden syrup and baking soda replace the egg as a binder. They were baked by families all over Australia during Joan Sutherland's childhood.
The contemporary twist : Offer them in an old-fashioned tin labeled "tour biscuits" — the perfect gift for anyone taking a train or plane.
Joan Sutherland · Charactorium
