Do you like ’em soft and chewy? Or is thin and crispy more your thing? What about dark and crunchy? It’s the great Anzac biscuit debate that re-emerges every April of each year.
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). “My preference is an Anzac that is crispy and crunchy, and that can be dunked in a cup of tea,” she says.
No matter your preference, we’ve discovered the science behind the perfect Anzac biscuit and all you need is one recipe (and three simple variations).
Take a look below and solve all those Anzac bikkie arguments in one recipe.
Classic Anzac biscuit recipe
Ingredients:
150g (1 cup) plain flour 90g (1 cup) rolled oats 85g (1 cup) desiccated coconut 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar 55g (1/4 cup) caster sugar 125g butter 2 tablespoons golden syrup 2 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Step 1 Preheat oven to 160C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Step 2 Combine flour, oats, coconut and combined sugar in a large bowl.
Step 3 Stir the butter, golden syrup and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Add to the oat mixture and stir until well combined.
Step 4 Roll level tablespoonfuls of the oat mixture into balls and place, about 5cm apart, on the prepared trays. Flatten until about 1cm thick. Bake, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 15 minutes or until light golden. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Should Anzac biscuits be crunchy or chewy or crispy?
This is the beauty of this recipe. You can tweak it three different ways to get whichever outcome you want.
For soft and chewy Anzac biscuits
Omit the brown sugar and increase the caster sugar to 155g (3/4 cup). Cooking time stays the same.
For dark and crunchy Anzac biscuits
Omit caster sugar and increase the brown sugar to 155g (3/4 cup, firmly packed). Bake for 18 minutes.
For thin and crispy Anzac biscuits
Omit the caster sugar and increase the brown sugar to 200g (1 cup). Reduce the flour to 115g (3/4 cup). Cooking time stays the same.
The history of Anzac biscuits
They date back to World War I and were eaten by Aussie troops on the shores of Gallipoli and the fields of Flanders. 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.
Originally, they were so hard they were virtually inedible. Soon enough, the mothers, wives and girlfriends of Australian troops back home got wind of this and, concerned that their boys were not getting enough nutrients, gradually developed the recipe for what we know of today as the Anzac biscuit.
Why are they called Anzac biscuits?
ANZAC stands for “Australian and New Zealand Army Corps”. As these biscuits were made for and shipped to these soldiers to provide both comfort and nourishment, they were named after them.
Anzac biscuits have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War I. It is thought 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.
At first the biscuits were called Soldiers' Biscuits, but after the landing on Gallipoli, they were renamed ANZAC Biscuits. A point of interest is the lack of eggs to bind the ANZAC biscuit mixture together. Because of the war, many of the poultry farmers had joined the services, thus eggs were scarce.
Soldiers often devised ingenious methods to make them easier to eat. A kind of porridge could be made by grating them and adding water. Or biscuits could be soaked in water and, with jam added, baked over a fire into "jam tarts".
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.
ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Anzac Day falls on the 25th of April each year. The 25th of April was officially named Anzac Day in 1916. On the 25th of April 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula.
The use of the word 'Anzac' in the commercial production and sale of Anzac biscuits is usually approved, however the biscuits must not substantially deviate from the generally accepted recipe and shape, and must be referred to as 'Anzac Biscuits' or 'Anzac Slice' (not 'Anzac Cookies').
The corps was re-established, briefly, in the Second World War during the Battle of Greece in 1941. The term 'ANZAC' has been used since for joint Australian–New Zealand units of different sizes.
Some research suggests it is a myth that soldiers in Gallipoli ate Anzac biscuits, others experts believe they did. Australian War Memorial historian Meghan Adams told 9news.com.au the topic had caused confusion.
ANZAC is the acronym formed from the initial letters of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. This was the formation in which Australian and New Zealand soldiers in Egypt were grouped before the landing on Gallipoli in April 1915. The acronym was first written as “A & NZ Army Corps”.
What do Anzac Biscuits taste like? Well, let me tell you. Anzac biscuits are oat and coconut cookies that bake up crispy and a little chewy. They're sweet and hearty and so satisfying.
It's a combination of caramelising sugar, toasting oats and coconut, and browning butter, and it is completely and utterly irresistible. And while you're at it, these biscuits lend themselves beautifully to experimentation – some dried tropical fruit, a dunk in chocolate, or a dash of maple syrup would be perfect.
The letters in the acronym ANZAC refer to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The first day to be called Anzac Day was 13 October 1915 and occurred in Adelaide. The Anzac Day we know and honour today didn't occur until 25 April 1916.
Although a day of remembrance, both countries also celebrate the camaraderie of the Anzacs. Stories of their bravery, humor, ingenuity, and endurance left a powerful legacy, and Anzac biscuits—a small token of gratitude sent from home—became a national symbol of their courageous “Anzac spirit.” Lest we forget.
Traditional 'Gunfire' - rum in a cup of coffee, tea or milk is also be served. 'Gun fire' was originally a British military term referring to the early cup of tea served out to troops in the morning the rum was added for an extra tipple of courage for the day ahead.
Historians examining the importance of Anzac to Australia coined the phrase “Anzac legend” (or, more critically, “Anzac myth”), referring to the representation of Australians in war: how they think, speak, and write of their war experience (which is not always the same as how they experienced it).
The red poppy has special significance for Australians as they were among the first to flower in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium in the First World War. In soldiers' folklore, the vivid red of the poppy came from the blood of their comrades soaking the ground.
Introduction: My name is Clemencia Bogisich Ret, I am a super, outstanding, graceful, friendly, vast, comfortable, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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