Recipe: It’s all about the Anzac biscuit

You know it as the chewy, golden treat that commemorates the soldiers who fought (and continue to fight) bravely for our freedom. But there is even more to the Anzac biscuit than meets the eye…

Said to have been sent to Australian and New Zealand soldiers by wives and/or various women’s groups back home, the Anzac biscuit has a lot of history baked into it.

The recipe is most commonly associated with World War I, which makes sense - the ingredients used were specifically chosen because they don’t spoil easily, ensuring they kept well during transportation by ship.

So hallowed is the Anzac biscuit that there are strict rules that need to be followed when they are baked – break them, and you can no longer call your creation an Anzac biscuit.

According to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, any recipe that claims to be an Anzac biscuit must “not substantially deviate from the traditional recipe and shape,” and cannot call them ‘Anzac cookies’.

A true Anzac biscuit is also made using golden syrup as the binding agent, not eggs. This approach was taken with the original wartime recipe for two reasons: one, any recipe that used eggs wouldn’t last the months-long journey from Australia and New Zealand to overseas soldiers; and two, many of the chicken farmers were serving, meaning a nationwide egg shortage.

So, with all that in mind, it’s time to reveal our favourite Anzac biscuit recipe – and it seems only fitting that it be courtesy of another national treasure, Maggie Beer.

Maggie Beer’s Anzac biscuit recipe

This recipe pays tribute to the iconic Australian biscuit, with an extra addition of lemon rind for sweetness balance.

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• ¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 lemon zested
• 125g butter melted
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 2 tbsp verjuice
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Mix the flour, rolled oats, coconut, brown sugar and lemon zest in a medium bowl.
3. In a small saucepan, melt butter with golden syrup and Verjuice. Once butter has melted bring the mixture to a simmer before adding the bicarb soda. Stir to completely dissolve.
4. Add the hot butter and sugar mix to the dry ingredients and fold through.
5. Roll mixture into even sized balls and place onto a lined baking tray, leaving 2 – 3 cm between each biscuit. Using your fingers, squash to flatten slightly.
6. Place into preheated oven and bake for 18 – 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.