Anzac Biscuits

I have heard of Anzac Cookies before, and have even searched for recipes for them, but I never made them before. I got this recipe from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion -- just flipping through the book looking for something new and different to try. I gave Chris a couple of options and this is what he chose.

I expected them to be stout, scone-like cookies with heft and chew and substance to them -- similar to these Ginger Apricot Cookies -- instead they spread out flat on the baking sheet with crispy edges and chewy middles. I'm pretty sure the cookies I made before are a version of this Australian classic though because in the variations section of the book it mentions adding dried apricots and crystallized ginger.

The flavor is interesting, not quite like anything I've had before, but good, definitely good with a faint burnt sugar aftertaste that I'm pretty sure came from the Lyle's Syrup I used in them, either that or I overcooked the syrup... The book called for Australian Golden Syrup, but I had the Lyle's so that's what I used. If you don't have either of those syrups a dark table syrup with a high percentage of cane sugar can be substituted, or if all else fails, dark corn syrup. Naturally, the flavor of syrup you use will affect the flavor of the finished product, but that's to be expected.

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tbsps golden syrup (see note above)
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
2 tbsps boiling water

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.

In a large bowl mix together the oats, flour, sugar or coconut. Place the butter and syrup in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter has melted and the syrup is bubbling.

In a small bowl combine the baking soda and water and stir this into the butter mixture. The mixture will foam up as you stir it. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Drop they dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared pans allowing room for spreading (they spread quite a lot -- which I learned the hard way). Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, they should be rich golden brown in color. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool, they'll become crunchy as they cool.