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Food & Wine
All about that dough
The best and easiest Anzac biscuit recipe
Love a good Anzac biscuit? This simple recipe is the only one you'll ever need.
Nationally celebrated, the Anzac biscuit is a symbol of tradition and camaraderie. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer yours super chewy or extra crisp, these golden biscuits have a way of bringing people together – especially if they’re freshly baked.
A humble mixture of oats, golden syrup, desiccated coconut, sugar, butter and bicarbonate of soda, Anzac biscuits are great anywhere, anytime, but they’re particularly significant on Anzac Day.
During World War I, oat biscuits were made to help raise money for the war effort, and this style of biscuit acquired the Anzac moniker sometime in the 1920s. The recipe has been refined over the years, but it remains a favourite for home cooks. Today there’s the temptation to add nuts or chocolate, but we think you’ll agree that this recipe from Le Petit Gateau patisserie honours both taste and tradition. Follow these tips to make your best-ever batch of Anzac biscuits.
How to bake the ultimate Anzac biscuit
Get the texture right
Nobody likes a soggy or bland biscuit, and when it comes to the classic Anzac, you want to get the texture just right. That’s why you’ll never see an authentic Anzac recipe that calls for anything other than rolled oats. These ensure the biscuits have plenty of rustic, homemade appeal.
Decide if you’re going for chewy or crispy biscuits
If you prefer your Anzacs on the crispy side, look for recipes with a higher granulated sugar content compared with golden syrup or molasses. Reducing the amount of liquid will result in crispier biscuits. More golden syrup, on the other hand, increases chewiness.
Thick or thin?
When it comes to Anzac biscuits, the thinner the biscuit, the crispier it will generally be. If that’s the aim of your game, you can achieve it in a variety of ways. The first is by manually flattening the balls of dough on the tray before you bake them. The second is by adding more sugar or, if you’re not concerned about texture, using quick oats rather than rolled. Lastly, adjust the cooking time and oven temperature. Cooking at a slightly lower temperature for longer will result in thinner, crispier Anzacs.
Reduce the spread
If you’ve ever baked Anzac biscuits, you’ll know they spread. A lot. You might have started with a tray of neatly scooped spoonfuls, but you’ve ended up with something more akin to a misshapen Anzac slice (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Traditional Anzac methodology would suggest leaving about seven centimetres between each biscuit, but the best distance depends on the desired size of your Anzac biscuit. The bigger the biscuit – the more space you need to leave.
An authentic Anzac biscuit recipe has rolled oats, but you can add nuts or chocolate. Image: Getty
All about that dough
How absorbent your dough is depends on the thickness of the rolled oats. When it comes to rolling or scooping out your balls, you want the dough to be firm enough that it doesn’t stick to your hands, but wet enough that it doesn’t crumble if you try to flatten it out on the tray. If it’s too sticky, add a little flour. Too wet? Add a little melted butter.
Is it okay to add non-certified Anzac ingredients?
It might not be allowed, according to the Anzac rulebook but, these days, many chefs and bakers are putting their own delicious spin on these classic treats – such as adding chocolate chips, chopped macadamias and even sprinkles to the biscuit batter. Anzac biscuits are very forgiving, so anything goes. The important part is to have fun making – and eating – them.
The balls aren’t the only things that need space…
Make sure your oven racks are adjusted, too. Chances are, you’re going to have at least two trays of Anzacs in the oven at the same time so you want to make sure there’s plenty of room for the air to circulate for even cooking. Don’t put trays of biscuits on the oven floor.
Don’t overdo them
Depending on how you like them, Anzacs should be ready once they’ve turned golden and start to firm up. You want them to be a little soft when you take them out of the oven because they’ll harden up on the tray as they cool.
Best ever Anzac biscuit recipe
Ingredients
- 150 g plain flour
- 80 g desiccated coconut
- 90 g rolled oats
- 110 g caster sugar
- 55 g brown sugar
- 125 g butter
- 25 g (1.5 tbsp) boiling water
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Place the flour, coconut, rolled oats and combined sugars in a large bowl. Mix together with a wooden spoon.
- Place the butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for three minutes or until butter is melted. Set aside for five minutes to cool slightly.
- Combine boiling water and the bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl. Add to the oat mixture along with the butter mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on the lined trays, allowing space for spreading. Gently press each ball to flatten slightly. Bake for 12 minutes for chewy or 15 minutes for crisp biscuits.
- Set aside on the trays to cool completely. The biscuits will harden as they cool.
