Chewy Anzac Biscuits

Before you start

Anzac biscuits are an Australian and New Zealand oat cookie bound with butter and golden syrup instead of eggs. The name refers to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps of the First World War, and Australian rules still limit how the word Anzac can be used commercially. Stories about exactly how the biscuits started vary, so this page sticks to the baking.

The method is unusual: melt the butter and golden syrup, then stir in baking soda dissolved in boiling water. The mixture foams up, and that fizz is what gives the biscuits their open, lacy texture and helps them spread and caramelize. Bake time decides the style. Take them out when the edges are golden and the centers still look soft for chewy biscuits, or leave them a few minutes longer for an even brown and a crisp snap.

Ingredients

• 90 g (1 cup) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 150 g (1 cup plus 2 tbsp, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 165 g (¾ cup packed) light brown sugar
• 65 g (¾ cup) unsweetened desiccated coconut
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 125 g (½ cup plus 1 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp (42 g) golden syrup
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp boiling water

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F), or 160°C (325°F) for a fan oven, and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. Stir the oats, flour, brown sugar, coconut and salt together in a large bowl, breaking up any lumps of sugar.
3. Melt the butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Take the pan off the heat.
4. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water, then pour it into the butter mixture. It will foam up and turn pale; stir briefly.
5. Pour the foaming mixture into the dry ingredients right away and stir until everything is evenly moistened. The dough should hold together when squeezed.
6. Roll the dough into 25 g balls (about 1½ tablespoons) and place them 6 cm (2½ in) apart, twelve per sheet. Flatten each one slightly with your palm to about 1.5 cm thick.
7. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes for chewy biscuits, until golden at the edges and still slightly soft in the middle, or 13 to 15 minutes for crisp ones, until evenly deep golden.
8. Leave them on the sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then move them to a rack to cool completely.

Tips for success

• Warm the golden syrup tin in hot water for easier measuring, and oil the spoon so the syrup slides off.
• If the dough is crumbly and will not hold a ball, add 1 more teaspoon of boiling water; it varies with the oats and coconut you use.
• Bake a single biscuit first to see how much yours spread, then adjust the flattening.

Substitutions

Golden syrup

Honey or light corn syrup works, though honey browns faster and changes the flavor. Maple syrup makes a softer biscuit that spreads more.

Butter

Use the same weight of coconut oil for a dairy-free version. The biscuits are slightly crisper and taste more of coconut.

All-purpose flour

A gluten-free plain flour blend works here. Use oats labeled gluten-free if that matters for the people eating them.

Variations

Macadamia Anzacs

Add 60 g chopped macadamia nuts with the dry ingredients.

Ginger Anzacs

Add 1 teaspoon ground ginger to the dry mix and 40 g chopped crystallized ginger.

Troubleshooting

Biscuits spread into one thin sheet

The dough balls were too close or too large, or the butter mixture was very hot when mixed in. Space them 6 cm apart and let the dough cool a few minutes before rolling.

Biscuits did not spread at all

The dough is too dry, often from over-measured flour, or the baking soda did not foam. Weigh the dry ingredients and use freshly boiled water.

Hard rather than chewy

They baked too long. Pull them while the centers still look soft, and store them airtight as soon as they are cool.

Storage

Store the biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Chewy biscuits slowly crisp over time; crisp ones soften if left uncovered. They freeze well for up to 3 months.

Safety notes

Contains wheat, milk and coconut; oats may be cross-contaminated with gluten. Do not eat the raw mixture, since it contains untreated flour.