Quintessentially Aussie – ANZAC Biscuits
Merle is an Aussie Grandma and a fantastic cook who released a book of Australian recipes, and one of the all-time favourites is reproduced here albeit with a few alterations.
The recipe is posted here, as it was Anzac Day, yesterday.
Every year on 25 April, Australians remember the Anzacs in memorial services in every suburb, in every city in Australia, and it is a national holiday. I would venture to say a sacred day in the consciousness of all Australians.
Anzac biscuits are named after the Australian and New Zealand Army troops who fought on the side of Britain during WWI. They were unfortunately slaughtered in an mistaken decision made by the British command.
Churchills error in the Dardenelles against the Turkish forces resulted in an atrocious loss of life and the soldiers who fought there have since achieved saint-like status in the minds of Australians and Kiwis.
These biscuits/cookies keep well for an extended period of time and were sent in tins to the troops fighting in the filthy trenches at Lone Pine and Anzac Cove in Turkey, by the mothers and sweethearts of those brave young men.
Mel Gibson immortalised the Anzac soldier’s spirit in the 1981 film “Gallipoli”.

I cooked the Anzacs at 180 degrees C… sorry Merle love, my oven is happier working at a higher temperature than yours.
Feel free to post what temperature worked for you, if you try the recipe…
Anzac Biscuits
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain flour (approx 4 ounces)
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tbsp boiling water
- 1 tsp bicarb soda
- 160 g butter, melted
Preheat Oven 170 Celsius
Method
1. Sift flour, ginger in a mixing bowl and add coconuts, oats and sugar. Make a well in the centre
2. Stir in Golden syrup, boiling water and bicarb in a small bowl until combined. Add to the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter. Mix well
3. Take heaped teaspoons of mix and roll into small balls. Place on trays and flatten gently. Bake 6-7 minutes ( I baked them for 10 mins)
4. Cool on tray 10 mins til they firm up slightly.
The supreme sacrifice of those men in the cause of freedom, is truly something to eternally ponder about. “Lest we Forget”
Now you can also try these biscuits, and tell me what you think.
Reproduced here for the Danish island school and the children who some years back organized an Australian morning tea as part of their tuition from their fabulous teach who unfortunately passed away some years ago.
RIP Teacher Andrea.
Nice overview of Anzac biscuits. I’m guessing you are referring to Merle Parrish. I’ve made one of her recipes for my cooking blog.
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Was it from page 32?
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Go look! 🙂
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I will do, Peggy, as I didn’t get a notification from your cooking blog!
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It was a few years back.
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I recall being in Australia a couple of times on Anzac Day as it fell in our Easter Holidays. We returned home each time with some of the delicious biscuits. If I were to make them at home how many ounces would represent a cup in your measurements please?
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Hi Marion,
Lovely to hear from you again. I wondered how you were going over you in this darn pandemic.
It was great to hear that you know of and have previously enjoyed our Anzac biscuits.
Did you try the supermarket version? If so, like anything fresh always tastes way better than packaged products, so I am sure you would be delighted with this recipe if you made Anzac biscuits for yourself at home.
The biscuits do keep well for some time, unless there is very high humidity and the recipe is very forgiving.
I have just now updated the post with the addition of a converted cup of flour to ounces, which I just weighed here for you. My scales tell me 1 standard Australian cup of plain flour weighs a teeny bit over 4 ounces. I posted a conversion chart on a previous post if that helps? https://forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/gulkake-yellow-cake-recipe/
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That’s so kind Amanda. I’ll remember that for future reference too and get baking soon. I’ve only eaten the hotel/supermarket ones before so I’m sure these will be much nicer. Great to hear from you too! We are all fine here thank you and trust you are as well. Best wishes, Marion
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Yes we are fine and mostly unaffected by Covid as there is no cases in the community at all. Only in Quarantine which is strictly monitored. For once being so far away from everything had helped us control Covid outbreaks and who comes to our shores, so life continues much the same. We are only starting vaccinating now so we are behind the rest of the Western world.
Good luck with making the biscuits. I hope you like the fresh version.
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I can’t believe that it’s been one year since I first made your Anzac cookies. It seems like it was just yesterday! But I looked it up & here’s the post to prove it
https://thesandychronicles.blog/2020/04/26/biscuits-treacle-and-lions/
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Since these cookies are so hardy and last so long, are they also flavorful? I like anything with oatmeal and ginger.
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They do have flavour Marlene. But it is mild. I think if you like oatmeal you would like them.
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I do love a good oatmeal cookie, Amanda. I add coconut to mine instead of raisins. 🙂
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A nice switch to replace the raisins with coconut. I have another recipe I might try that with.
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We also had remembrance gatherings on Sunday and Monday was also a holiday. I love the taste of the biscuits.
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There was some variation between how each state dealt with the public holiday this year, Ineke. We had the Monday off but southern states had Friday off I think.
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We all had Monday as holiday because It fell on Sunday and they wanted to give the workers a day to relax, not that it happened.
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I understand. Are uou still working at the school?
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No I’m not. I resigned when they started again last year in level 2. I am above 70 and did not want to take the risk to get sick. It’s been a year now since I’m home.
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I understand Ineke. Having a respiratory condition means that I finished work when Covid starting ramping up.
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Same here.
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