Anzac Biscuits

The origin of Anzac biscuits emanates from World War I, when the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) soldiers landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.

Based on a recipe for Scottish oatmeal cakes, Anzac biscuits are made from flour, rolled oats, dessicated coconut, golden syrup, brown sugar, butter and bicarbonate of soda. As eggs were scarce during wartime, none were used to make these delicious biscuits, instead golden syrup (or treacle) was used to bind the ingredients together.

They were sent to Australian soldiers in the war by their families and are now often joked about as the 'Australian national biscuit'.

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats 1 cup plain flour 1 cup sugar (preferably brown sugar) 3/4 (three-quarters) cup coconut 125g (4 oz) butter 2 tablespoons golden syrup ½ (half) teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1 tablespoon boiling water

Method

1. Combine oats, sifted flour, sugar and coconut. 2. Combine butter and golden syrup, stir over gentle heat until melted. 3. Mix bicarbonate of soda with boiling water, add to melted butter mixture, stir into dry ingredients. 4. Spoon teaspoonfuls of mixture onto lightly greased oven trays; allow room for spreading. 5. Cook in slow oven (150°C or 300°F) for 20 minutes. 6. Loosen biscuits from trays while still warm, then cool on the trays.

Makes about 35.