Chewy Anzac biscuits
Three different ways to make Anzac biscuits so everyone can enjoy them exactly how they want them.
Are you a fan of ’em chewy and soft? Are you more into crispy and thin? Or dark and crunchy? This is the Anzac biscuit debate, which resurfaces every April.
Miranda Payne, taste.com.au Food Editor, stated that the original Anzac biscuit was the hardier, crunchier version. The original recipe has been modified with different cooking times (making them chewier) and adding more sugar (making them super crispy). She says that she prefers Anzac, that’s crispy and crunchy and can be dipped in a cup of tea.
We have the science behind the perfect Anzac cookie, no matter your preference. All you need is one recipe and three variations.
Look below to solve all your Anzac bikkie problems in one recipe.
Ingredients:
150g (1 cup) plain flour
90g (1 Cup) rolled oatmeal
85g (1 Cup) of desiccated coconut
100g (1/2 cup, tightly packed) brown sugar
55g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
Butter 125g
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons of water
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
Method:
Step 1: Heat oven to 160C. Use non-stick baking paper to line 2 baking trays.
Step 2: Mix flour, oats and coconut in a large bowl.
Step 3: Heat the butter, water and golden syrup in a small saucepan on medium heat until it melts and becomes smooth. Add the bicarbonate soda. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the oat mixture. Stir until combined.
Step 4: Form small balls from the oat mixture and place them on the prepared trays. Flatten the mixture until it is about 1 cm thick. Bake for 15 minutes, switching trays halfway through cooking. Allow cooling for 10 minutes before moving to wire racks.
Are Anzac biscuits crispy, chewy, or crunchy?
This is the beauty and genius of this recipe. It can be modified in three ways to achieve the desired outcome.
Soft and chewy Anzac biscuits
Reduce the brown sugar by reducing the caster sugar to 155g (or 1/4 cup). The cooking time is the same.
Dark and crunchy Anzac biscuits
Reduce the caster sugar to 1/4 cup and add brown sugar to the batter. Bake for 18 minutes.
Thin and crispy Anzac biscuits
Reduce the caster sugar to 0 and increase the brown sugar to 200g (1 cup). Reduce the flour to 115g (3/4 cups). The cooking time remains the same.
Anzac biscuits’ history
These biscuits date back to World War I and were consumed by Australian troops at Gallipoli and on the Flanders fields. Anzac biscuits were also known as Anzac tiles or wafers. They were part of the rations given to soldiers in World War I. Because they had a longer shelf life, they were preferred to bread.
They were almost impossible to eat at first. Soon after, Australian soldiers’ wives, mothers, and girlfriends returned home from war were alerted to the problem and developed the recipe for the Anzac biscuit.
Why is it called Anzac biscuits?
ANZAC stands to represent “Australian and New Zealand Army Corps”. These biscuits were named after soldiers because they were sent to them to provide comfort and food.
