Anzac Biscuits

Although wildly popular in Australia and New Zealand, Anzac biscuits have not caught on in the rest of the world, until now. I first tried Anzac biscuits at Peels, a hip new eatery on New York City’s Bowery. The delicious, crumbly texture of these sweet, nutty, granola-like biscuits was unlike anything I’d ever tried and I was determined to recreate this addictive confection. Anzac biscuits have a rich history. As the story goes, the biscuits were sent by wives of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and kept well during war. Brilliant!Although there are many variations on the traditional recipe, I love the additions used by Peels – tangy orange zest and a handful of your favorite chopped nuts.

ANZAC Biscuits

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
3/4 cup nuts, chopped (I used raw almonds)
8 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup (or honey or light corn syrup)
3 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions
Mix oats, flour, sugar, nuts, orange zest and coconut together.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the syrup and butter together.
Mix the baking soda and the boiling water and add to the melted butter and syrup mixture. Remove from heat.
Add butter mixture to the dry ingredients.
Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 – 18 minutes until golden on top.