Chewy Anzac Biscuits

Some like Anzacs crispy others chewy. Now you can please everyone!

Allison ReynoldsContributor
prepare
cook
28 servings
Moderate
Culinary historian Allison Reynolds shares her Anzac biscuit recipe.
Culinary historian Allison Reynolds shares her Anzac biscuit recipe.Wakefield Press

Some like Anzacs crispy others chewy. Now you can please everyone! It seems we had a sweeter tooth in days gone by but it is possible to reduce the sugar by up to ½ cup without it affecting either recipe too much.

Ingredients

  • ½ Level cup / 75g / 2½ oz plain flour
  • ½ Level cup / 75g / 2½ oz self raising flour
  • 1 Cup / 90g / 3 oz rolled oats (not instant)
  • 1 Cup / 70g / 2½ oz desiccated coconut
  • 1 Cup / 200g / 7 oz sugar (try half castor and half soft brown sugar)
  • 125g / 4½ oz butter 1x 20ml tablespoons of golden syrup – be generous! (Open lid and stand the tin in bowl of hot water to soften before measuring).
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (bicarb)
  • 1 tablespoon boiling water (You may need to add a little extra water when you bind the ingredients together so that you can form a ball in your hand)

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Mix flour, oats, desiccated coconut and sugar in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat, add golden syrup (dip tablespoon in hot water before measuring), stir till dissolved, bring gently to boiling point then remove pan from heat.

  2. 2.

    Mix boiling water and bicarb and stir till dissolved. Add this to the hot melted mixture and stir till it froths up the pan.

  3. 3.

    Carefully add the frothy mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. If a little dry add ½ tablespoon of extra water to help bind it together.

  4. 4.

    Take a rounded dessertspoon of mixture, roll into a ball. Place balls on baking trays 5 cm apart, (the biscuits will spread).

  5. 5.

    Press biscuits down using a fork, the back of spoon, or the bottom of a cup measure. Place trays in oven (150C fan forced oven).

  6. 6.

    After 15 minutes take trays (1 tray at a time) out of the oven and press biscuits flat again.

  7. 7.

    Return trays to oven and continue baking for a further 3 - 4 minutes or until golden brown (they will be soft).

  8. 8.

    Leave the biscuits on the trays for barely 1 minute - just enough time for the biscuits to firm up slightly before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

More from Food