Anzac Biscuits
Golden, crunchy biscuits made with oats, coconut, and golden syrup, without eggs to withstand travel. Sturdy, fragrant, perfect with tea.
Golden, crunchy biscuits made with oats, coconut, and golden syrup, without eggs to withstand travel. Sturdy, fragrant, perfect with tea.
I am a boy from Adelaide, do not forget, and these biscuits come from my home. They were made without eggs, you see, so they could survive the voyage to the trenches without turning — oats, coconut, and golden syrup keep them good for weeks. During the war, I listened to the guns to guess their position; back home, our mothers measured the syrup for these biscuits. It is a taste that smells at once of the sunny land and of memory.
- •Rolled oats — one cup (base)
- •Flour — one cup (structure)
- •Desiccated coconut — one cup (flavor)
- •Sugar — one cup (flavor)
- •Golden syrup — two spoonfuls (binder and caramel)
- •Butter — a knob (fat)
- •Bicarbonate of soda — a pinch, dissolved in boiling water (leavening)
Anzac Biscuits
Golden, crunchy biscuits made with oats, coconut, and golden syrup, without eggs to withstand travel. Sturdy, fragrant, perfect with tea.
Why this dish? Bragg was born in Adelaide, Australia, and served during the Great War as an officer in sound-ranging enemy guns. These eggless biscuits, which keep for weeks, were made by Australian families and sent to soldiers at the front: a link between his native country and the war he fought.
I am a boy from Adelaide, do not forget, and these biscuits come from my home. They were made without eggs, you see, so they could survive the voyage to the trenches without turning — oats, coconut, and golden syrup keep them good for weeks. During the war, I listened to the guns to guess their position; back home, our mothers measured the syrup for these biscuits. It is a taste that smells at once of the sunny land and of memory.
Ingredients (period version)
- Rolled oats — one cup (base)
- Flour — one cup (structure)
- Desiccated coconut — one cup (flavor)
- Sugar — one cup (flavor)
- Golden syrup — two spoonfuls (binder and caramel)
- Butter — a knob (fat)
- Bicarbonate of soda — a pinch, dissolved in boiling water (leavening)
Ingredients
- Rolled oats — 90 g (base)
- Flour — 120 g (structure)
- Desiccated coconut — 85 g (flavor)
- Sugar — 100 g (flavor)
- Golden syrup (or mild maple syrup) — 2 tbsp (binder and caramel)
- Butter — 115 g (fat)
- Bicarbonate of soda — 1 tsp (leavening)
- Boiling water — 2 tbsp (activation of 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 into dry ingredients.
- Form small flattened balls spaced well apart on a baking sheet (they spread).
- Bake at 160°C for 15-18 minutes until golden. Let cool: they harden into crunchiness. Store in an airtight container.
How it was made : Anzac biscuits (named after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) date from World War I. Their lack of eggs and richness in oats and syrup ensured long shelf life when shipped to soldiers. They remain a national emblem in Australia and New Zealand.
The contemporary twist : A pinch of sea salt on top before baking, and sandwich them in pairs with a thin layer of salted caramel.
Sources : Australian War Memorial — Anzac biscuits
Lawrence Bragg · Charactorium