Anzac Cookies, or Anzac biscuits as they are known in Australia and New Zealand. An iconic old fashioned recipe with history.
Anzac Cookies
This recipe is very famous in Australia and New Zealand. It is said to date back to the time of the First World War.
Popular opinion has it that they were made with simple ingredients that did not spoil easily. This made them suitable to send to the the ANZAC soldiers ( Australia & New Zealand Army Corps) during the war.
Anzac Cookies ready for the oven.
Wikipedia says, “It has been claimed that 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.
Anzac Cookies
However, this information has been contradicted with the claim that Anzac biscuits were never sent to soldiers and were instead eaten by Australians and Kiwis at home in order to raise funds for the war.
It is unclear which of these two competing claims is true.”
Anzac Cookies
Regardless, either way, this Anzac cookies recipe still holds that connection with military service. They are still commonly made for Anzac Day in these countries, a day of remembrance held on April 25, to commemorate those who served and died in the military.
When I first heard about these cookies, my fascination with old fashioned recipes prompted me to want to make them. As usual, I tried a couple of recipes before adapting my own.
Anzac cookies
Anzac Cookies adapted for North America
Most Anzac Cookies recipes call for golden syrup, which is not commonly known in North America. So, I chose to substitute honey, which worked very well. Corn Syrup is also a fine substitute if that’s what you have on hand.
The timing of the baking on these is variable. Bake them for about 12 minutes and they should still be slightly soft snd chewy.
Bake them for 15 minutes or longer and they become quite crispy. I suspect that’s the way they would have been baked for transporting to the soldiers.
Anzac Cookies
Less moisture would naturally mean less chance of spoilage during transport.
This is again, what my Mom calls a “Cuppa Tea Cookie”. However you like them, crispy or chewy, they make an idea treat for an afternoon tea or coffee break.
With the Holiday baking season upon us, these Anzac Cookies are great to have in the freezer. They also make a excellent, low cost option for gift giving.
Who wouldn’t want a gift of homemade cookies?
You might also like to try some of our very popular recipes in our Best Newfoundland Christmas Cookies Collection. They are definitely worth making at any time of year!
Newfoundland Christmas Cookie Recipes
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Anzac Cookies
Anzac Cookies, or Anzac biscuits as they are known in Australia and New Zealand. An iconic old fashioned recipe with history.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 up dried coconut, fine cut
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix together the flour, coconut and rolled oats, set aside.
- Heat together the butter and honey over low heat just until the butter is melted. Do not overheat.
- Mix in the brown sugar and vanilla extract.
- Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and mix it into the wet mixture.
- Fold in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. If using nuts, fold them in at the same time.
- Form rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on the prepared cookie sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Press them down slightly.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. The shorter time will make chewier cookies. The longer time will produce crispier cookies.
- Cool on a wire rack before storing in airtight container.
- These freeze very well too.
Notes
Note: baking times were good with my baking pans and oven. Your results may need to add a minute or two to the baking time for crispier cookies.
I always suggest baking only a few to start to experiment with getting the timing right for your particular oven.
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Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Nutrition Information
Yield
30Serving Size
1 cookieAmount Per Serving Calories 113Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 8mgSodium 76mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 1gSugar 8gProtein 1g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.