Anzac biscuit recipes: chewy, crunchy and more! (2024)

FAQs

What makes Anzac biscuits crunchy or chewy? ›

According to taste.com.au Food Editor Miranda Payne, the traditional Anzac biscuit was the harder, crunchy version. Over time, the original recipe was modified with variations being cooked for less time (making them chewier) or adding more sugar (so they're super crispy).

Best substitute for golden syrup is a combination of light molasses or treacle, plus honey. I use 1 part molasses or treacle, and 3 parts honey – the flavour is nearly identical, and the colour is very similar (a bit darker).

If this recipe ends up really hard, then you may have overbaked them. They shouldn't be too hard because the ingredients won't allow it. But if they do, pop them in an airtight container with a slice of bread and leave them for 24 hours. They'll be fine after that.

Don't let the mixture stand around.

So, make sure you roll and bake the mixture as soon as possible after mixing to make rolling and flattening of the biscuits easy. If it does get a little dry you can just mix in another tablespoon or two of water to help make it a little more pliable before shaping.

Well, the long and short answer to chewy cookies is it's all about the moisture content. Cookies that are dense and chewy incorporate more moisture into the batter. This can be achieved by making substitutions with wet and dry ingredients, or even just changing the way you incorporate certain ingredients.

Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies. Why use melted butter? Melted butter creates cookies with a different texture compared to cookies made with softened or creamed butter.

Also known as light treacle, golden syrup makes its way into recipes with treacle in the title, like this Blood Orange Treacle Pudding. It's not to be confused with treacle, however, which is closer to molasses or dark corn syrup in its consistency, though it doesn't quite have the same flavor.

In the U.S., golden syrup is usually sold under the name of light treacle, but it's not readily available in many grocery stores. In cooking recipes, molasses and light treacle are often used interchangeably because their textures and flavor profiles are similar.

If you don't have bicarbonate of soda, you could substitute baking powder - you'll need to double the amount. Golden Syrup - this is a staple in Aussie homes. There really isn't a substitute for golden syrup in Anzac Biscuits as it's used to bind the dough (in place of eggs).

Australians are divided over how Anzac biscuits should be served, with an overwhelming majority preferring them soft but a vocal minority in support of a crunchy consistency.

Why do my Anzac biscuits go flat? ›

Shopping tip: Make sure you buy whole rolled oats - if you use instant oats, the mixture will spread too much and your biscuits will be flat. Make them your way: Soft and chewy: Omit the brown sugar and increase the caster sugar to 155g (3/4 cup).

They became known as Anzac biscuits sometime after the formation of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps in 1914. Reynolds said the first printed reference to that name that she could find was in the eighth edition of the St Andrew's Cookbook, which was published in 1919.

Sugar attracts moisture and homemade biccies often contain a lot of it, so they are prone to losing their crunch. To stop biscuits getting soft, make sure your container is airtight and put a layer of dry rice in the bottom of it to absorb any rogue water particles in the air.

Anzac biscuits also traditionally use golden syrup, but it seems as if it is a little harder to find here than it is in Australia and New Zealand. So, I switched it out and used Honey instead. If you would like to use Golden Syrup then by all means go ahead - it is a 1:1 swap.

If biscuits are too soft they can be returned to the oven and cooked further.

Overmixing: If you mix the dough too much, the gluten in the flour can develop too much and create tough, hard biscuits.

If your freshly baked biscuits seem too soft after they're cooled, then they're either under baked, or there is too much liquid in the recipe.

If soft biscuits are comfort food, hard biscuits are the epitome of practicality. Their main feature is their dry, crumbly texture, which is achieved by using less fat and sugar. This not only gives them a longer shelf life but also makes them ideal for recipes that require a crispy base, such as tarts or cheesecakes.

Whether they are simple, whole, enriched with chocolate chips or almonds, the important thing is that our biscuits are crunchy and crumbly. Very often, however, small mistakes during the preparation of the shortcrust pastry make the biscuits come out of the oven too soft or too frothy.