Anzac Biscuits with Rosemary

Anzac Biscuits with Rosemary

Recipe by Dimitra Alfred

Course: Snacks / Cuisine: Sweet treats / Difficulty: Easy

The first reference to ANZAC biscuits, seems to be shortly after the First World War. Families and support groups baked these biscuits, full of energy from oats, treacle and desiccated coconut, and sent them to Australian service people at war. The biscuits are eggless as eggs were scarce. They are dry and lightweight – perfect keeping qualities for an item that might take eight weeks to reach its hungry recipient.

We have added a little rosemary to our ANZAC Biscuits for flavour, aroma and remembrance.

Ingredients

• 125g butter
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tablespoons boiling water
• 1 cup (90g) rolled oats (for gluten free use 1 cup quinoa flakes)
• 1 cup (80g) desiccated coconut
• 1 cup (150g) plain flour (for gluten free use 1 cup gluten free plain flour)
• 1 cup (220g) sugar (raw or white sugar)
• 2 tablespoons rosemary
• Extra sprigs rosemary, optional

Equipment

• Small saucepan
• 1 Small mixing bowl, 1 Large mixing bowl
• 2 Wooden spoons
• Kettle
• Metric measuring cup and spoon measures
• 2 Baking trays lined with baking paper
• Baking paper
• Cooling racks
• Oven mitts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Line the baking trays with baking paper.
2. Measure all the ingredients and have them ready before you start.
3. Place the butter and golden syrup into the small saucepan and heat on low until the butter has melted; remove from heat.
4. Measure the bicarb soda into a small bowl and mix in the boiling water; add to the small saucepan with the butter mixture and stir in.
5. Use a wooden spoon to combine the oats, coconut, flour, sugar and rosemary in the large bowl.
6. Pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and mix to a moist & clumpy consistency.
7. To test if the mixture is the right consistency, take a small amount and try pressing it into a ball in your hand. If it forms a ball, the mixture is perfect and ready to use, if it falls apart, add a tablespoon of water to the bowl of biscuit mixture, and this will help bring it together.
8. Use a bread and butter knife to firmly press the mixture into metric tablespoons.
9. Drop each tablespoonful of the biscuit mixture about 4cm apart (the biscuits will spread) onto the baking trays. Try to make all the biscuits about the same size so they bake evenly.
10. Bake for 20 minutes or until browned. Use oven mitts when adding and removing trays from the oven.
11. If you like you can very carefully insert a small sprig of fresh rosemary into each biscuit while it is still warm and soft. Be careful when you do this as both the tray and biscuits will be hot – have an adult help you.
12. Allow biscuits to cool and firm up on the trays.
13. If there are any leftovers, store them in an airtight container.