An Easy Recipe for Anzac Biscuits

Anzac Biscuits Recipe adapted from Donna Hay's Recipes (all photos taken by me on my Sony RX100 II)

An Anzac biscuit is a sweet popular treat originating from Australia and New Zealand, associating itself with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War 1.
As well as being a national treasure to us Aussies, these biscuits are also a favourite of mine because they are so easy to make and the ingredients so simple. It only takes me just under an hour to prepare and bake these goodies, and it makes approximately 35 biscuits.

Ingredients:
2 cups (180g) rolled oats
1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour
2/3 cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar
3/4 cup (60g) dessicated coconut
1/3 cup (115g) golden syrup
125g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda
2 tablespoons hot water

Instructions
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius (325 degrees Fahrenheit). Place the oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a bowl and mix to combine (I use a wooden spoon and metal bowl; no need for electrical beater). Place the golden syrup and butter in a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring, until melted.
Combine the bicarbonate of soda with the water in a small bowl and add to the butter mixture. This mixture will foam up. Pour into the oat mixture and mix well to combine. Spoon tablespoons of the mixture onto baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper and flatten into 7CM rounds, allowing room to spread. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until deep golden. Allow to cool on baking trays for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

*Note: For a more chewy texture, I bake the biscuits for 10 minutes exactly and allow to cool on baking tray for a little longer before transferring it to a wire rack. For a crunchier texture, I bake for 12 minutes or so. I check for the colour to determine the texture - the more golden and brown, the more crunchy.

I find these biscuits are so good to eat, and I find a more healthier alternative to other treats. I like to put extra oats and/or coconut for a chewier texture. One time I ran out of oats and only scraped enough to add only one cup of oats instead of two. The result was boring and flat. For me, oats and coconut are the keys!

Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Baking - Toblerone Chocolate Chip Cookies

A Recipe: Toblerone Chocolate Chip Cookies (variation of Donna Hay's 'The New Classics' recipe, Chocolate Chip Cookies)

Happy Valentine's Day my readers! As a way of showing my love for my friends and family this year, I decided to bake some red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing as well as some of these bad boys. Warm and gooey chocolate chip cookies with Toblerone pieces.

Toblerone Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes 22)

1 cup (175g) brown sugar
3/4 cup (165g) white sugar
150g unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
400g Tolberone chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 160*C (325*F). Place the brown and white sugars, butter and vanilla in an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until pale and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg, beating well to combine. Add the flour, salt and baking powder and beat, on low speed, until a dough forms.
Fold through the Toblerone chocolate. Roll 2 tablespoons of the dough at a time into balls, and flatten slightly. Place on lightly greased baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper, allowing room to spread. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool on trays.

Easy Peasy cookies and you can make them even more special by wrapping it in pink and white tissue paper and some twine. Happy Valentine's! <3