Anzac Biscuits - The BEST recipe - Just a Mum's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What makes Anzac biscuits crunchy or chewy? ›

To make your biscuits extra crispy try cooking them on a lower temperature for a few minutes longer or, add an extra teaspoon of boiling water to your biscuit mix. For a chewier texture, add a little more golden syrup (just pull back on the sugar to adjust the overall sweetness) and bake them slightly less in the oven.

If you under bake these, they'll be soft; if you over bake, they'll become a little harder, although they shouldn't become like rocks, as they'd burn first. I'm sure you'd notice that! ??? If your Anzacs spread, your butter was too warm. Chill them for at least 30 minutes before baking, and this should help.

The use of the American word “cookie” creeping into the language is officially frowned upon according to Federal Department of Veterans Affairs guidelines. The word Anzac, which stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps that served in World War I, is a protected word which cannot just be used by anyone.

This iconic flavour actually tells us a lot about when they were first made in 1915 during World War I. Australian and New Zealand women used golden syrup to bind the biscuits — not eggs — so that the biscuits could survive the two- to three-month trip to troops in France.

Best substitute for golden syrup is a combination of light molasses or treacle, plus honey. I use 1 part molasses or treacle, and 3 parts honey – the flavour is nearly identical, and the colour is very similar (a bit darker).

Your cakes and biscuits will have a slightly finer texture when using caster sugar while if you use granulated sugar, your cakes will have a slightly coarser texture and your biscuits will be more crunchy.

Australians are divided over how Anzac biscuits should be served, with an overwhelming majority preferring them soft but a vocal minority in support of a crunchy consistency.

Don't let the mixture stand around.

So, make sure you roll and bake the mixture as soon as possible after mixing to make rolling and flattening of the biscuits easy. If it does get a little dry you can just mix in another tablespoon or two of water to help make it a little more pliable before shaping.

Anzac biscuits have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War I. It has been claimed that these biscuits were sent by wives and women's groups to soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation.

People were still allowed to adopt the word as the name of a child, or the name of a pet. Garran received a number of applications from returned soldiers seeking to name their baby boys “Anzac” – to which he drily responded that “there is no legal objection to the use of the word "Anzac” in the naming of children".

What were in original Anzac biscuits? ›

The basic ingredients for a rolled oat biscuit were rolled oats, sugar, flour, butter with golden syrup, not eggs, used as a binding agent. This made them not only nutritious and full of energy but also long lasting.

'Hard tack' was, however, the most well-known term for the ship's biscuit. The ingredients were stone ground flour, water and salt, which were mixed into a stiff dough, baked in a hot oven for 30 minutes and then left to harden and dry.

The original Anzac biscuit was known as an Anzac wafer or tile and, along with beef bully, was part of the rations given to our soldiers during World War I. They were included instead of bread because they had a much longer shelf-life.

Shopping tip: Make sure you buy whole rolled oats - if you use instant oats, the mixture will spread too much and your biscuits will be flat. Make them your way: Soft and chewy: Omit the brown sugar and increase the caster sugar to 155g (3/4 cup).

For those of you who have never had a hobnob biscuit, it's kind of like a cross between an Anzac and a digestive biscuit. This particular recipe comes from Kate Doran's Homemade Memories – Childhood treats with a twist, and uses wholemeal flour, oats and as well as being fairly restrained with the sugar.

Australians are divided over how Anzac biscuits should be served, with an overwhelming majority preferring them soft but a vocal minority in support of a crunchy consistency.

According to taste.com.au Food Editor Miranda Payne, the traditional Anzac biscuit was the harder, crunchy version. Over time, the original recipe was modified with variations being cooked for less time (making them chewier) or adding more sugar (so they're super crispy).

Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies. Why use melted butter? Melted butter creates cookies with a different texture compared to cookies made with softened or creamed butter.