Anzac BiscuitsThese crumbly cookies come loaded with oats and coconut.

An acronym for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps, Anzac biscuits are the brainchild of 1920s-era military wives and mothers who sold the cookies for war-effort fundraisers. Heather Sperling, who developed this recipe for the 2014 edition of the Saveur 100, first tasted them at an outdoor market in, of all places, Berlin. “As a lifelong oat cookie devotee, it was intense love at first bite,” she says. Loaded with coconut as well as oats, the dough will have a crumbly texture. No matter; once pressed into patties, it’ll bake to a sturdy, satisfying crunch.

Featured in: "Anzac Biscuits."

  • Serves

    Makes 2 Dozen Cookies

  • Time

    50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 14 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 12 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 13 cup boiling water
  • 1 12 tsp. baking soda
  • 10 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. unsalted butter
  • 3 Tbsp. golden syrup, such as Lyle’s

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the first 4 ingredients and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the boiling water and baking soda. In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter and golden syrup, then stir in the reserved baking-soda mixture. Remove from the heat, pour over the reserved dry ingredients, and stir until a crumbly dough forms.

Step 3

Using a 1-ounce scoop or rounded tablespoon, divide the dough into balls. Drop the balls onto parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and press into ¼-inch-thick patties, spaced about ½ inch apart. Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. Stored in an airtight container, the cookies will keep for up to 7 days.
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the first 4 ingredients and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the boiling water and baking soda. In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter and golden syrup, then stir in the reserved baking-soda mixture. Remove from the heat, pour over the reserved dry ingredients, and stir until a crumbly dough forms.
  3. Using a 1-ounce scoop or rounded tablespoon, divide the dough into balls. Drop the balls onto parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and press into ¼-inch-thick patties, spaced about ½ inch apart. Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. Stored in an airtight container, the cookies will keep for up to 7 days.
Recipes

Anzac Biscuits

These crumbly cookies come loaded with oats and coconut.

  • Serves

    Makes 2 Dozen Cookies

  • Time

    50 minutes

Aussie-Kiwi Anzac Biscuits
MAURA MCEVOY (CUSTOM CREDIT)

By Heather Sperling


Updated on December 14, 2021

An acronym for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps, Anzac biscuits are the brainchild of 1920s-era military wives and mothers who sold the cookies for war-effort fundraisers. Heather Sperling, who developed this recipe for the 2014 edition of the Saveur 100, first tasted them at an outdoor market in, of all places, Berlin. “As a lifelong oat cookie devotee, it was intense love at first bite,” she says. Loaded with coconut as well as oats, the dough will have a crumbly texture. No matter; once pressed into patties, it’ll bake to a sturdy, satisfying crunch.

Featured in: "Anzac Biscuits."

Ingredients

  • 2 14 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 12 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 13 cup boiling water
  • 1 12 tsp. baking soda
  • 10 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. unsalted butter
  • 3 Tbsp. golden syrup, such as Lyle’s

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the first 4 ingredients and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the boiling water and baking soda. In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter and golden syrup, then stir in the reserved baking-soda mixture. Remove from the heat, pour over the reserved dry ingredients, and stir until a crumbly dough forms.

Step 3

Using a 1-ounce scoop or rounded tablespoon, divide the dough into balls. Drop the balls onto parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and press into ¼-inch-thick patties, spaced about ½ inch apart. Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. Stored in an airtight container, the cookies will keep for up to 7 days.
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the first 4 ingredients and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the boiling water and baking soda. In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter and golden syrup, then stir in the reserved baking-soda mixture. Remove from the heat, pour over the reserved dry ingredients, and stir until a crumbly dough forms.
  3. Using a 1-ounce scoop or rounded tablespoon, divide the dough into balls. Drop the balls onto parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and press into ¼-inch-thick patties, spaced about ½ inch apart. Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. Stored in an airtight container, the cookies will keep for up to 7 days.

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