Category Archives: Cookies

ANZAC Biscuits

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I have a raft of sweet posts saved up for the next few days… I had a bit of a baking festival over the last couple of weeks. All my favourite biscuits and puddings. My golden baking rule is that I’m not to bake unless we are expecting people or it is destined to be taken off-site (work morning teas, gifts, etc). I have not been following this rule. Sigh.

But I am on a new health kick inspired by the lovely spring weather. So for now the baked goods are safely tucked locked away in the freezer. I’m a pretty healthy eater all the time actually, so it’s not too severe a change, but I’ll admit that typing up these recipes and adding images to the post isn’t easy… the freezer is calling me. Caaaaaaaaaaaallliiiiiiing me. Must remind self of beautiful fresh and healthy recipe posts coming up in another week or two.

For now, I hope you like ANZAC biscuits! I love them. They fall into my beloved category of fairly modest baking – they’re not the size of a CD and the height of a thick book, bulked up with chocolate. While I love multi-media sized chocolate-stuffed food, I can’t eat it every day. But ANZAC biscuits, like my Grandma’s apple shortcake and my Nana’s jam drops make an ordinary afternoon cup of tea a little more ‘treaty’ without turning it into a meal. Know what I mean?

This recipe makes lovely chewy, golden syrupy biscuits. They compete with gingernuts for the coveted ‘best biscuit with cup of tea’ title. They’re good on baking day but even better the next. If you haven’t tried making ANZAC biscuits at home before, try this recipe out. They are nicer than bought ones (I should know, I bought the tin and ate the originals!).

ANZAC Biscuits

1 cup rolled oats*
1 cup coconut
¾ cup flour**
1 cup sugar
4oz butter
2 Tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp boiling water

*I used the big wholegrain ones this time around, but normal porridge type oats are the classics
**Try wholemeal flour. It doesn’t negate the butter and sugar, but you might feel more virtuous!

Preheat the oven to 180° and line baking trays with baking paper.

Mix together the oats, coconut, flour and sugar. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, gently heat the butter and golden syrup, stirring them so they melt together. Find a small ramekin or cup and mix together the baking soda and boiling water. Let it fizz a wee bit and dissolve before adding it to the saucepan. Keep it over the low heat and stir the mixture very briefly- it will foam up a bit and smell divine. Add this mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir the lot together – the mixture will form a crumbly dough.

I use a round (as in hemi-spherical, if that’s a word) tablespoon measure to form the biscuits. I use it like an ice cream scoop, pack it fairly firmly and gently ease the little mound of dough onto the baking tray. Don’t flatten them, they do that on their own in the oven – so be sure to leave a bit of space around each biscuit. Mine take exactly 10 minutes. Leave them to cool a little and firm up on the trays before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Makes 36.

Cranberry, Orange and Almond Biscuits

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I’m not very experienced at concocting my own recipes, but I seem to have stumbled on something special here. I wanted to make some cranberry and white chocolate cookies. Kind of because I wanted to open the packet of white chocolate buttons and eat some. But I rummaged through the pantry and we were out of white chocolate buttons. Probably because last time I made something with white chocolate, I ate the rest of the packet. Sigh.

I was still determined to use cranberries. I wanted to make an oaty cookie of some sort, and this was the result.

I’m not sure whether it was the cranberries, orange, almonds or vanilla, or by their powers combined, but these may be the best smelling biscuits I have ever come across. The whole kitchen filled up with a sweet smell, and you could even smell them through the container the next day at work. Recommended!

Cranberry, Orange and Almond Biscuits

1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup cranberries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds, roughly chopped
1 tsp finely grated orange rind
100g butter
2 Tbsp golden syrup
2 Tbsp hot milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat the oven to 180 (c), and line 2-3 baking trays with paper.

Mix together the flours, sugars, oats, cranberries, almonds and orange rind, and set aside. Place the butter and golden syrup in a medium saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the butter and syrup melt together. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot milk, and add to the butter mixture. It will foam up a bit – stir it over the low heat until it’s well mixed, then pour it over the dry ingredients.

Mix together to form a crumbly dough. Form heaped teaspoonfuls into small balls and place on (cold) baking trays. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden. They won’t be firm when you take them out of the oven. Leave them to sit on the trays for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool. Makes about 40.


Ninja Bread Men!

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I found some great cookie cutters at Auckland’s macy home a few weeks ago. I haven’t made gingerbread men for ages but had to try these out! Here’s the recipe – you can of course use them for any shaped biscuits, but keep in mind that ordinary gingerbread men won’t silently slay your enemies.

Ninja Bread Men

4oz (125g) butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup golden syrup
2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 190 (c). Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. Add the syrup and sifted dry ingredients, and mix to form a smooth dough. If you need to (probably not at this time of year!), chill the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes so the dough is firm to roll out. Roll the dough out to about 4mm thick. Cut into shapes and carefully place on lined baking trays. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Leave them on the trays for 5-10 minutes, then cool on racks.

Icing

I roughly followed the picture on the cookie cutter packet, just using black and white icing. Mix the white icing first: sift 1 1/2 – 2 cups of icing sugar into a bowl, and add a squeeze of lemon. Gradually add small amounts hot water, and mix until you have a good consistency. I left mine a little more liquid than usual to keep it shiny, and to make it easier to spread into a karate outfit. Ice all the biscuits in white. Then make your remaining icing black: firstly, make it into chocolate icing by adding a spoonful or two of cocoa. Then add a few drops of black food colouring – I settled for what was actually a dark greeny colour. It still looks black against the white icing, but didn’t taste bitter, as it will if you add too much colouring!

These would be great for kids’ parties … although they were also a big hit in my office!