Anzac Biscuit
This Saturday is Anzac Day. A day to honour members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I.
I still remember one of the very first job in my career years is to build the Australians at War website for the documentary series broadcasted on ABC back in 2001. (Look! My name is on the credits!) My task was to build the interactive side in Flash, back in year 2000. Have to say I am quite proud of the effort and how it turned out despite that flash development was still pretty new in the cyberworld nine years ago.
That’s nine years ago, I don’t make any war websites to commemorate the Anzac Day anymore; instead like a good ole foodblogging trooper, we make Anzac Biscuits.
For those who don’t know what Anzac Biscuit is – Anzac Biscuit is a sweet eggless biscuit with rolled oats as the basis of the recipe. It is biscuits issued to soldiers by the Army referred to as ANZAC tiles or ANZAC wafers differed from the popular ANZAC biscuit. ANZAC tiles and wafers were hard tack, a bread substitute, which had a long shelf life and was very hard; so the biscuits kept well during naval transportation to loved ones who were fighting abroad.
Of course the Anzac Biscuits these days doesn’t have to be hard and have long shelf life. The recipe evolved after so many years and the Anzac Biscuits these days are crunchy on the outside, with a chewy center. It has become a well-loved biscuit by many Australians.
I decided to bake my own Anzac biscuit this year. Even though it cost more to make the biscuits myself, but they definitely taste so much better than those in the supermarket. It is very easy to make and tasty, I can’t see why shouldn’t you give it a go and make some of this biscuit on the Anzac day this Saturday.
Here’s the basic recipe that I revised for my own version. As I don’t have golden syrup, so I substituted with honey which probably taste better than the syrup in my opinion. And I want it to be more chewy and oat-y, so I added more oat into the recipe. So what are you doing this Saturday? Pay tribute at the morning service? Play two-up at the local water hole? or bake yourself some yummy chewy anzac biscuits?
Ingredients (yield 15 biscuits)
1 cup (150g) self raising flour
1½ cup (130g) rolled oats
1 cup (85g) Ward McKenzie desiccated coconut
3/4 cup (155g) brown sugar
150g butter
2 tbs honey (you can use golden syrup)
Tip: If you don’t have self raising flour, just use 1 cup of plain flour, then add 1 tsp of baking soda into the honey, butter mixture before pouring into the dry ingredients.
Tip 2: Please don’t try to put any whacky ingredients and ruin a good traditional recipe!
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Stir in the oats, coconut and brown sugar.
3. Put the butter, honey and 2 tbs water in a small saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until melted.
4. Pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
5. Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls about the size of golf balls. Flatten it slightly between palms almost resembles the size of a tennis ball. Place on the trays, about 5cm apart.
6. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
7. The biscuit will rise a little once baked. Use a spatula to flatten it slightly again. It the edges crumbles, push it back into biscuit and let it stick together. Once cool, it will harden and become one piece again.
8. Set aside on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack so it cools completely.
A Table For Two (ATFT) is Billy Law's food blog that features best eats in Sydney and around the world with drool-worthy food photography to salivate your appetite. I also throw in a smidgen of my food and travel photography for good measure. Billy Law also happened to be a contestant on MasterChef Australia 2011. 
Ah – I thought these were a suspiciously pale specimen… now I understand it’s the honey.
Nice work. And yep , homemade stuff is always better (Well most of the time). My GF does the same with lamingtons, they are cheaper to buy but taste as good if not better home made.
I like that last photo with the coin, very nice!
Howard’s last blog post – Rambutan, Darlinghurst
Hey doesn’t your point no. 2 directly contravene your own use of honey? lol. It’s gotta be golden syrup mate
I find it gives the biscuits a much better snap and more of a delicious toffee flavour, but then I’ve always been a fan of the crunchy Anzac. That’s why you have them with a cup of tea 
Helen (grabyourfork)’s last blog post – Markets, Mingara and mementoes at The Entrance
I tried making Anzacs with golden syrup for the first time this year (I usually use honey). Not much difference in my opinion. Your bikkies look good – and so BIG next to the 20cent pieces!
BELLE’s last blog post – Hello Cookie: ANZAC biscuits
Niicee now those are man-sized ANZAC biscuits ^^! Mmmm craving them nooowww but store bought won’t be anywhere near as good as home made
FFichiban’s last blog post – The Malaya – King St Wharf, Sydney
@Kt: yeah… I need to get more golden syrup n make another this weekend.
@Howard: yup always taste better home made, but is worth the effort.
@Helen (grabyourfork): cmon I said ‘whacky’, honey is not that whacky! Unless u start adding choc chip, raisins or coffee flavour then will b just wrong. I think the toffee flavor is from the brown sugar anyway. I’ll do another batch with golden syrup this weekend and do a comparison.
@BELLE: they r not that big, about the circumference of a tennis ball.
@FFichiban: u should make some as big as your hot cross bun! LOL
i’m with Helen – i like the snap and the dunk in tea for oaty crunchy sugary goodness. beautiful shots Billy
shez’s last blog post – lindt cafe
loving your blog and pics. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
Simon
ps. pity you didn’t find Australian Pennies for your photo.
Simon Food Favourites’s last blog post – Lee’s Malaysian, Sydney (23 April 2009)
I’m am totally inspire to make some Anzac Biscuits now. Thanks!
Okay, here’s the thing though: those anzacs you get at the supermarkets are cheap for a reason, and that reason is why we all prefer to make our own cookies at home. And God knows what’s in them anyway. I mean, flavourings?? In a basic biscuit?!!
Btw, I’m out of cookies right now. do you have leftovers?
Christy’s last blog post – Salty+Sweet Series 2: Raisins
Your site is fantastic, how could I have never happened across it before. Such beautiful pics and great recipes…can I link to it??
Tenina’s last blog post – GET FUDGING
Great photos Billy!
@shez: I don’t mind crunchy, but definitely have a soft spot for the chewy ones, just like those at Subways, I never sick of them!
@Simon Food Favourites: Thanks, yeah I was tempted to go out and buy the two up with pennies. But time pushed on so I just used 20 cents instead.
@Heidi: I hope you made some last weekend! LEt me know how it turns out.
@Christy: I agree with you. I did have some bought from the market and yep, they are definitely doesn’t taste as good as home made.
@Tenina: Thanks for dropping by Tenina. Sure you can link to it.
@Christie @ Fig & Cherry: Thanks Christie!
I made some with treacle and they came out very crumbly. Made me think. What ingredient/s is it that make biscuits stick together? Can someone please tell me? I do very little cooking and the only biscuit I make it the Anzac biscuit, usually with golden syrup and they usually turn out okay but it is always a chancy thing because I literally don’t know what I’m doing – don’t know which ingredient does what, don’t know what’s gone wrong when something goes wrong, like today. Was it the treacle or something else?