ANZAC BISCUITS

It’s pretty hard to go past an Anzac biscuit. Full of oats and the rich dark sweetness of golden syrup, there’s a deeply held nostalgia for these classic biscuits. In my ideal world, I’d have a tin of these in the pantry at the farm at all times, but they seem to disappear as soon as they’re made. They’re perfect with a cuppa.

Preparation Time 10 minutes | Cooking Time 20 minutes, plus cooling | Makes 20 biscuits

100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) rolled (porridge) oats

100 g (3½ oz/²/₃ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

70 g (2½ oz/¹/₃ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

50 g (1¾ oz/½ cup) desiccated (shredded) coconut

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1½ tablespoons warm water

125 g (4½ oz/½ cup) butter, melted

1 tablespoon golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) and line a few baking trays with baking paper. Combine the oats, flour, sugar, coconut and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Combine the bicarbonate of soda in a separate small bowl with the warm water, add to the dry mixture along with the melted butter and golden syrup and mix well to combine. Divide the mixture into 20 balls and place on the trays, pressing to flatten the biscuits slightly – leave 5 cm (2 inches) between each for the biscuits to spread. Bake for 15–20 minutes until dark golden brown, cool on the trays and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.