Nadine Ingram, the founder of Sydney’s cult-status bakery Flour and Stone, likes her Anzacs slightly crispier, extra coconutty and XL-sized. “There are many inferior competitors to rival the Anzac biscuit, but none that evoke such a sense of home and country,” she says.
“The pleasing warm smell of golden syrup as they come out of the oven is something I have always loved about them, surpassed only by my occupational advantage of always being able to eat them straight off the baking sheet.”
Makes 12 giant or 24 soldier’s-pocket-sized biscuits
250g unsalted butter
300g golden syrup
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
2tbsp boiling water
250g plain flour
150g light brown sugar
150g desiccated coconut
100g shredded coconut
300g rolled oats
Preheat the oven to 150C and line three baking sheets with baking paper.
Combine the butter and golden syrup in a saucepan and place over medium heat to melt the butter, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, tip the bicarbonate of soda into a small bowl, add the boiling water and mix them together with a small spoon. Place this bowl near the stove, at the ready.
Once you see the butter and golden syrup just beginning to boil remove the pan from the heat and, stirring with a wooden spoon, immediately add the bicarbonate of soda mixture. Mix well, then set aside to cool until just tepid.
Place all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix them together thoroughly. Pour over the cooled butter syrup and mix it through with a wooden spoon until the dough becomes sticky and everything is well combined.
Flour and Stone cook book cover
For the giant biscuits, scoop half a cup of dough for each biscuit directly on to the prepared baking sheets, then use your fingertips to flatten the dough to a thickness of 3mm, trying to keep them as round as possible. Leave a 5cm gap between each biscuit to allow for spreading. For the pocket-sized biscuits, use a quarter cup-sized measuring cup to portion out the dough. Bake the giant biscuits for 30 minutes and the smaller ones for 20 minutes or until golden. If you prefer your Anzacs crisp, leave them in the oven for a further five minutes.
Remove the biscuits from the oven and slide them on to a wire rack to cool. They will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
