ANZAC Biscuits

A New Zealand and Australian Traditional Snack - A Short History
John Craggs' "Scientific" Recipe for ANZAC Biscuits
Recipe for ANZAC Biscuits from the New Zealand Edmonds Cookbook
Recipe From A Different Edition Of The Edmonds Cookbook
ANZAC Biscuits from Mrs. Anne Ferguson of Goonellebah, New South Wales
Ros Mitchell's Anzac Biscuits
Recipe for ANZAC Biscuits Courtesy Of Peter Porritt From An Australian Friend A Tararua Biscuit Recipe, Again From Peter Porritt
Recipe As Served At Wetherby Outback Station, Just Out Of Port Douglas, Qld, Australia
Recipe From Mrs. M Williams, Armidale, NSW, Courtesy Of Rev. Neil Thomsen
Golden Syrup I
Golden Syrup II
Sultanas and Currants

ANZAC Biscuits A New Zealand and Australian Traditional Snack - A Short History
Anzac Biscuits have been a traditional cookie recipe (or, as we say Down Under, biscuit") for longer than anyone seems to know. Our best guess, based on the name and the ingredients is that they were developed by the Anzac troops - perhaps in World War 1 - as something they could prepare from the foodstuffs they had on hand to alleviate the boredom of the foods they otherwise had to eat.

A very authoritative sounding history comes from Kate Baxter in New Zealand. She tells us : Anzac Biscuits are based on Scottish Oatcakes. Scottish settlers to New Zealand and Australia served these for breakfast or lunch with meat, cheese, or jam. My great-grandmother's recipe has no sugar, or coconut which would not have been available in the mid nineteenth century. Sugar and sugar syrup were added sometimes as ingredients by the 1890's and the oatcakes served occasionally as a biscuit. Early recipes appear in recipe books of this era. By about 1910, coconut and other ingredients were being added. The name Anzac Biscuit was coined at the beginning of WW I. Red Cross and other charities needed funds, and garden parties and cake stalls were one way of raising money. I have a photograph of a cake stall taken in 1914 which shows several ladies selling cakes and biscuits. A plate of biscuits is in the foreground with a sign "ANZAC Biscuits".

An alternative suggestion comes from US reader Barry Moon : "I have always assumed the origin of Anzac biscuits was on the "home front" - as the cookies contain no milk or eggs they would not spoil, and, as they are rather "heavy" and soft-ish (not brittle) they would travel well on their journey from Mum to the troops. But what do I know being a Yank and all! Food for thought..." Who knows! Any additional information that anyone can offer on this subject would of course be appreciated.

Clive Morton contradicts Kate Baxter and writes from North Queensland - "I note that a Kiwi claims that she has a pic of a Red Cross stall there selling Anzac biscuits in 1914. The first use of the word ANZAC happened when a cipher clerk in the Cairo HQ, tired of writing out the full name, made up a rubber stamp with the word ANZAC. He did this in December 1914. The term did not come into ordinary use until after the Gallipoli campaign which began on 25 April 1915, and dispatches started going out virtually daily from the peninsula. Gallipoli itself, by the way was nowhere near the landing, but many kilometres away on a different shore."

Anzac biscuits have also been described as similar to mandelbrot, but this is perhaps not entirely accurate. Stephen Judd tells us that mandelbrot is translated as "almond bread" and is the direct ancestor of biscotti, and was first baked by Italian Jews in the middle ages. Mandelbrot is a hard sweet cakey sort of rusk with chopped almonds inside (thank you Stephen). It is most often shaped and sliced like biscotti, but not double baked. Teresa Martin tells us - "My favorite version (my mother-in-law's, in fact) also has chocolate chips, which was probably her addition, since she's a chocolate fan." The concept of adding chocolate chips is confirmed by Beryl Morgan, a sprightly 80 year old active on the Internet (who said the Internet was only for young people!) formerly of Castlemaine and now resident in California. As you can see, Anzac biscuits are nutritional, and delicious too! Here are nine (!) different recipes, all quite similar, for you to choose from.

In response to several questions, here is some information on the ingredients (and in particular, Golden Syrup!) and where you can get them. We also include a recipe for a variation on the Anzac concept - the "Tararua" biscuit. Named after the Tararua Ranges north of Wellington, this has become popular with mountaineers and trampers going for walks in the range. Important note on recipes: Kate Lewis, an Aussie now living in Glasgow, advises that the British imperial tablespoon is larger than an American one. She accordingly suggests using more golden syrup than the recipe might suggest if you are using American kitchen utensils. She also says that it is important to leave the biscuits for ten or so minutes after baking for the butter to set again.

John Craggs' "Scientific" Recipe for ANZAC Biscuits
Thanks to John for this latest addition to our list (May 99). Writing from a CSIRO email address in NSW, one has to accordingly treat his comments and suggestions with a great measure of respect! John writes "Here is my favorite recipe for ANZAC biscuits. It is a modification from the Australian Woman's Weekly publication "Beautiful Biscuits." This recipe makes a really delicious biscuit, crunchy on the edges and soft inside.

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup coconut
150-160g butter (3-4oz)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon boiling water
Combine oats, flour, sugar and coconut. Combine butter and golden syrup, melt in microwave. Mix bi-carb with water, add to the butter and golden syrup, stir. Add to the dry mix and stir till moistened. Take dollops of mix and put on lightly greased trays. Cook at 190C (375F) for 20 mins. Then - enjoy!
TIP: Butter and brown sugar help the biscuits spread.

Recipe for ANZAC Biscuits from the New Zealand Edmonds Cookbook
The Edmonds Cookbook is very much the kitchen bible of just about every household in New Zealand; indeed, the analogy to the real Bible extends to the fact that the two books rival each other for the award of best selling book in New Zealand! Full of down to earth and sensible recipes, it seems to encapsulate all that is normal and ordinary in NZ cuisine - "good honest home-style" food.

125g flour
150g (6 oz) Sugar
1 cup Coconut
1 cup Rolled Oats
100g (4 oz) butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon Bicarb of Soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
Mix together flour, sugar, coconut and rolled oats. Melt butter and golden syrup. Dissolve Bi-carb Soda in the boiling water and add to butter and golden syrup. Make a well in the centre of flour, stir in the liquid. Place in spoonfuls on a greased tray. Bake 15-20 mins at 180 degrees Celsius/350 Fahrenheit.

Recipe From A Different Edition Of The Edmonds Cookbook
50g (2 oz) flour
50g (2 oz) butter
75g (3 oz) sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
2/3 cup coconut
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
2/3 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons boiling water
Mix together flour, sugar, coconut and rolled oats. Melt butter and golden syrup. Dissolve bi-carb of soda in the boiling water and add to butter and golden syrup. Make a well in the centre of flour, stir in the liquid. Place in spoonfuls on cold greased trays. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 180 deg C (350 deg F).

ANZAC Biscuits from Mrs. Anne Ferguson of Goonellebah, New South Wales
Heather Ferguson writes (April 97) "Here is my mother's recipe for ANZAC biscuits which was much older than her, and used by her mother. It is a simpler recipe, without the coconut and nuts that some of the others have. She grew up in central northern Victoria, but now lives up near Lismore."
Mix well:
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp castor sugar
In a saucepan, melt
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp golden syrup
1 flat tspn bi-carbonate of soda
Add the melted mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.
Put dessertspoonfuls on to a cold greased slide or tray. Bake about 20 minutes at about 180 degrees C. (350 degrees F.).

Ros Mitchell's Anzac Biscuits
Cathie Martin writes (April 97) "I am an Aussie living in Canada. Dad used to make Anzac biscuits for us kids (I think that was the only thing he could cook!!), when we were small tykes growing up in Sydney, and I often get a craving for them over here in the cold north. I had one recipe, but I found that they turned out way too hard, and having written to mum, she came to the rescue with the following recipe. The secret ingredient is the Golden Syrup. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!"
1 cup of Rolled Oat
3/4 cup of Coconut
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup of plain flour
Mix oats, flour, sugar, and coconut together. Melt syrup and butter together. Mix soda with boiling water and add to melted butter and syrup. Add to dry ingredients. Place 1 tablespoon of mixture on greased tray. Bake in slow oven for 20 minutes.

Recipe for ANZAC Biscuits Courtesy Of Peter Porritt From An Australian Friend
225g (8 oz) margarine
2 tablespoons corn syrup
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups oats
2 cups sugar
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
Melt the margarine and add the corn syrup and water, all in a small pan. Add the baking soda and stir until fizzy. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients.
Make into balls and flatten with a fork on a tray. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius (325 Fahrenheit) for approx 15 minutes until golden brown. Makes approx 4 dozen biscuits.

A Tararua Biscuit Recipe, Again From Peter Porritt
There must be as many recipes for Tararua Biscuits as there are peaks in the Tararuas. Most of them contain rolled oats and some have reputations as jaw breakers! Here is another to add to the collection - wholesome, easy to make and packs well.
Yield: 50 biscuits
Weight: 1.1kg (2.5 lbs)
Home Preparation: 30 minutes
On Site Preparation: none

Ingredients for Tararua Biscuits
250g butter
1 1/2 cups (250g/10 oz) brown sugar
1/2 tin (200g/8 oz) condensed milk
2 cups (190g/7.5 oz) rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (45g/2 oz) coconut
Options and Extras
Add 1/2 cup (60g/2.5 oz) chopped nuts
Add 1/2 cup (75g/3 oz) currants
Melt butter, sugar and condensed milk together in large pot. Add coconut, rolled oats and baking powder. Divide in half. Spread each half onto a greased tray - spread with a knife into 30 x 30cm square, keeping edges neat and straight. Repeat with other half.
Cook at 150deg Celsius (300deg F) for 10-15 minutes till golden brown. Cut each tray into 25 biscuits - 5x5. Gently loosen, move and leave on tray. To harden off - leave for another 5-10 minutes.
When completely cold, pack biscuits in day lots - number of biscuits depending on size of group.
* Above is recipe from a NZ outdoor cookbook for trampers.

Recipe As Served At Wetherby Outback Station, Just Out Of Port Douglas, Qld, Australia
1 cup plain flour
1 cup Rolled Oats
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup Coconut
1/2 cup sultanas
1/8 cup Chopped Dried Apricots
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup
1 1/2 Teaspoons Bicarbonate of Soda
150g (6 oz) Butter
3 Teaspoons Hot Water
In a saucepan melt the butter and golden syrup. When melted, added the bi-carb soda which has been dissolved in 1 teaspoon of the hot water. When this all foams up, add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add remainder of water.
Roll into balls and place well apart on tray. Cook at 170 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) until golden brown, then cool on tray.

Recipe From Mrs. M Williams, Armidale, NSW, Courtesy Of Rev. Neil Thomsen
1 cup (8fl.oz.) rolled oats
1 cup sugar
1 cup plain flour
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup (1/4lb.) butter
2 tbsp. golden syrup
1 tsp bi-carb soda
4 tbsp boiling water
Mix oats, flour, sugar, coconut and an optional pinch of salt. Melt the golden syrup and butter and add soda which has been dissolved in the boiling water , mix until frothy.
Add to dry ingredients and bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Makes 11" x 14" pan. Cut while WARM -- this is extremely important, or else you won't be able to cut them at all!

Golden Syrup I
Put 1/4 cup sugar in a small heavy saucepan and shake pan so the sugar is in an even layer. Sprinkle it with 1/2 tsp vinegar and 1 tsp water. Cook over low heat, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium and cook until syrup has taken on a light caramel color, 5 to 6 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and pour int 1/3 cup light corn syrup. Do not stir, but let it bubble for 2 to 3 minutes. When the bubbling stops, stir well. It can be stored at room temperature for several months.

Golden Syrup II
Golden syrup is produced from sugar cane, the same as powdered sugar, molasses, and other things. It is a thick liquid, thicker in consistency than maple syrup, and a rich gold color. Lovely to eat by itself! It can be found imported from Britain in green tins, or imported from Australia, or in specialty food stores. Angela Crabtree reports that Golden Eagle make a honey/molasses mix that is very similar in functionality to Golden Syrup - might be worth trying if you are desperate!

Sultanas and Currants
These are much like dried raisins. A bit smaller, perhaps, and they are a light brown in color, and maybe sweeter. Angela Crabtree advises that "golden raisins" are as near the same as sultanas for our American views. In a worst case scenario, you could substitute raisins, or just leave them out entirely.
Currants are very much like sultanas, but smaller and darker.