Hazelnut Anzac Biscuits

Did you know that it's actually illegal to change the ingredients in Anzac biscuits?  Or to call them anything other than biscuits?  You can be fined up to $51,000 or even go to jail for a year.  So I was a wee bit surprised to see this recipe in an English cookbook, with a slightly changed name and extra ingredients.  Naughty, naughty!

Okay, so I am a bit late with getting my Anzac Day post up (25 April late!).  Nevertheless here we have hazelnut anzac biscuits from A Good Day to Bake by Benjamina Ebuehi.  Our local Historical Society (not the one that Mr P. is the President of) helps put on an Anzac Day service each year.  

They have a sausage sizzle, and sell Anzac biscuits to raise funds for charity.  So each April, I make a bunch of biscuits to help out.  One year, I made over 65, but this year I just made a couple of dozen (in 2 batches).  I found out from this recipe that the tastiest way to make Anzac biscuits is to toast the oats (and nuts) first!  

looking delightfully toasted and chewy/crunchy

Makes 12-16:

ingredients:

65g./2¼ oz hazelnuts, blanched

80g./2¾ oz rolled oats (not instant)

190g./6¾ oz plain flour

90g./3¼ oz desiccated coconut (unsweetened)

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

150g./5½ oz butter (unsalted if you wish - noooooo)

150g./5½ oz soft brown sugar

70g./2½ oz golden syrup    see Notes

1 tsp bi-carb soda (baking soda)

Method:

On goes your oven to 180C/350F to heat up

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper

Chop up the hazelnuts roughly and throw into a large frying pan with the oats

Over a medium-high heat, toss and turn till they are toasty (c. 5 mins.)

When smelling delicious and looking nicely toasted, take them off the heat, and tip them into a large bowl

Then add the flour, coconut, salt, and give it a good stir

Grab a medium saucepan, and melt the butter, sugar and syrup together

Once it's simmering, add the bi-carb, stirring with gusto to bring it together

When it is foaming and a bit thicker, remove from the hob, and tip into the dry ingredients

And stir very well! till everything is evenly coated

Grab a tablespoon or a small ice-cream scoop, and place these nicely formed balls of dough onto the baking tray, about 2.5cm/1 inch apart

Use a fork or your fingers to flatten out the tops a wee bit

Bake for 12-16 minutes (mine took 16), till you have firm edges (whatever that means)

If you want 'em crunchier, give them a few more minutes in the oven

Place them on a wire rack to cool

You could even use them for ice-cream sandwiches, especially if you dip the whole thing in melted chocolate after putting ice-cream between two of these lovelies

Notes:

If you can't get golden syrup, you can try honey or molasses or corn syrup (if you must) or brown rice syrup etc.  Just Google 'subs for golden syrup', my friends

gather your ingredients

toast your nuts and oats!

looking golden-brown and delicious

bi-carb in, and the magic happens

stir the foamy wet into the dry

ready for baking at 180C/350F for about 16 mins.

ready!

don't they look golden and munchable? :)

cool 'em down on a wire rack

I made 25 or 26. My second batch was a siren call I could not resist

c. Sherry M.