Sugar For Anzac Cookies | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

Full question

For the Seed-Studded Anzac Biscuits can I substitute sugar with maple or agave nectar? Or can I substitute the golden syrup with honey?

Our answer

Nigella's Seed-Studded Anzac Biscuits (from SIMPLY NIGELLA) are coconut and oat cookies studded with a mixture of pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds. The cookies contain a combination of light brown sugar and golden syrup (or corn syrup). The combination helps to give the cookies structure with a slightly chewy texture.

The golden syrup can be substituted and you could use (liquid/runny) honey or agave syrup. But we would mention that honey can have quite an assertive taste when used in cooking, so try to use a very mild-flavoured honey and we would mention that the cookies will not taste exactly the same. Unfortunately we would not recommend replacing all of the sugar with agave or maple syrup as we think this may make the cookies too soft. Syrups have a higher water content than granulated sugars, so this will affect the texture of the cookie, plus the syrups mentioned are all invert sugars and tend to make baked goods soft, as they attract moisture. So using all syrup will make the cookies very chewy and they may not hold together as well. You may be able to use a little more syrup and a little less sugar, but as we have not tried changing the proportions we are unable to advise on how much can be substitutes.

Try This Tip

Keeping Soft Brown Sugar Soft

From Ruthey12
  • 14
  • 2

Asked and Answered

Baking Seed Studded Anzac Biscuits

From Chrisnjoe21
  • 14
  • 2
Sugar For Anzac Cookies | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

FAQs

What makes Anzac biscuits crunchy or chewy? ›

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).

What can I use instead of golden syrup for Anzac biscuits? ›

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).

Why are my Anzac cookies flat? ›

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.

Can I use maple syrup instead of golden syrup? ›

Yes, maple syrup can be used instead of golden syrup in many recipes, however this will result in a slightly different flavour. Golden syrup and maple syrup are generally substituted in a 1:1 ratio, however you may choose to use slightly less maple syrup to maintain texture and consistency.

How does sugar affect the texture of biscuits? ›

Addition of sugar to the formula decreases dough viscosity and relaxation time. It promotes biscuits length, and reduces their thickness and weight. Biscuits which are rich in sugar are characterized by a highly cohesive structure and a crisp texture.

Why are my Anzac biscuits too hard? ›

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.

Can I use sugar instead of golden syrup? ›

Ingredients. Caster Sugar – I recommend using white sugar as it makes it easiest to tell when the syrup is ready by looking at it. You can also substitute 100g of caster sugar with light brown soft sugar for a deeper flavour, but due to the brown colour, it makes it harder to see when the homemade golden syrup is ready ...

What is the American equivalent of golden syrup? ›

In the U.S., golden syrup is usually sold under the name of light treacle, but it's not readily available in many grocery stores. In cooking recipes, molasses and light treacle are often used interchangeably because their textures and flavor profiles are similar.

What is a diabetic alternative to golden syrup? ›

Agave syrup and maple syrup

They are both good natural sweeteners and have the merit of having a lower GI than regular refined sugar and being more nutritional. They are mainly composed of fructose, recognised for its reduced hyperglycaemic effect. Agave and maple syrups are ideal for baking.

How to stop Anzac biscuits from crumbling? ›

But watch for crumbling or "melting": "If your biscuits are falling apart, then you have added too much of the wet ingredients, or potentially too much sugar," Quinn says. The marine biologist-turned-cook advises leaving the biscuits on the baking tray as they cool, then giving them a day or two to "chewify".

Why do my Anzac biscuits not spread? ›

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. Leave enough room between biscuits for spreading.

What if the Anzac biscuit mixture is too wet? ›

If the dough is too wet, add a bit of flour. Regardless, it is important to remember that if your dough is not wet enough aka too dry and crumbly, your final Anzac biscuit will be chewy and soft rather than hard and crispy.

What is a substitute for golden syrup in Anzac cookies? ›

The golden syrup can be substituted and you could use (liquid/runny) honey or agave syrup. But we would mention that honey can have quite an assertive taste when used in cooking, so try to use a very mild-flavoured honey and we would mention that the cookies will not taste exactly the same.

Which is healthier, sugar or golden syrup? ›

Golden syrup is made from cane sugar or sugar beet. It's produced by further processing one of the by-products of the sugar refining process. It's often found in baked goods and desserts. Despite being made from grapes this still has a high sugar content, so isn't much healthier than regular table sugar.

What is a substitute for golden sugar? ›

In the case of sponges, cookies and syrups that ask for golden caster sugar, regular caster sugar is your best option. It performs on par to golden caster sugar in terms of how it reacts to other ingredients, how it sets upon cooling and in a recipe and where you want to keep flavour pure, white caster sugar is best.

What makes a biscuit chewy or crunchy? ›

chewy vs crispy is a combination of 2 things… ratio of fats to flour, and baking times/temps.. for more chewy cake like cookies, you want something with a high fat, content cooked at a lower longer temperature… for a more crispy or dryer cooking you want a lower fat batter cooked at a high temperature.

Why were Anzac biscuits hard and long lasting? ›

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.

Why are my biscuits soft and not crunchy? ›

If your freshly baked biscuits seem too soft after they're cooled, then they're either under baked, or there is too much liquid in the recipe.

What ingredient makes biscuits hard? ›

To use a food processor, pulse together dry ingredients, then add chilled diced butter and pulse just until the largest pieces are pea-sized. Add just 3/4 cup half and half and pulse only until combined. Why are my biscuits hard? Overworking the dough can release gluten strands and cause biscuits to be tough.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Twana Towne Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 5461

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Twana Towne Ret

Birthday: 1994-03-19

Address: Apt. 990 97439 Corwin Motorway, Port Eliseoburgh, NM 99144-2618

Phone: +5958753152963

Job: National Specialist

Hobby: Kayaking, Photography, Skydiving, Embroidery, Leather crafting, Orienteering, Cooking

Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.