Anzac cookies are probably one of my favorite cookies! The richness of coconut, the depth of Lyle’s golden syrup all held together with oats, flour and sugar…oh yeah, and your favorite non-dairy butter too! How incredibly delicious this mixture is.
All I can say is THANKS AUSTRALIA for coming up with a perfect cookie. Australians call these cookies biscuits and they were developed during the first World War for the soldiers. They were perfect for travel because they do not contain milk or eggs, which means the soldiers had a yummy way to have sustenance while away.
The one secret ingredient is Lyle’s Golden Syrup. I found mine at a local store that has an international section. Look where you might find ingredients from the UK, you will likely find this sweet gem.
There’s only one way it could get better…add fruit! So which fruit goes well with coconut and oats? My pick is strawberry. I originally planned on making homemade strawberry jam but then got impatient (big surprise for those who know me) and bought a jar of organic strawberry preserves instead. I suppose that for this recipe you could use homemade jam and it would add another layer of deliciousness.
I made two versions of this mixture:
1. Strawberry Thumbprint Anzac Cookies
2. Strawberry Anzac Crumble
Strawberry Thumbprint Anzac Cookies
These cookies are sweet, rich and the texture is a little chewy, a little soft…and A LOT delectable.
The recipe is fairly straightforward:
1 C rolled oats
3/4 desiccated coconut (I use unsweetened)
1 C white flour
1 C sugar
125g (4oz) Earth Balance (1 stick)
2 T Lyle’s golden syrup
1/2 t baking soda
1-3 T water
1 10 oz. jar of strawberry jam or preserves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300F
1. In a big bowl, mix oats, flour, sugar & coconut together.
2. In a little bowl, melt syrup and butter together.
3. In a baby bowl, mix soda with 1 T boiling water. Add to melted butter and syrup. Then add that to the dry ingredients. Mix together, add a little extra water if it seems really dry.
4. Place 1 T of mixture on parchment paper lined cookie sheets (allow room for spreading). Flatten with fingers just slightly and add a small spoonful of jam to the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with coconut as a garnish if desired
5. Bake for 20 minutes, checking periodically. These cookies have a tendency to brown really fast.
6. Let cool completely and devour.
Strawberry Anzac Crumble
Ok – this recipe was stumbled upon by mistake but will certainly be resurfacing in my house as a favorite. First make a batch of the Anzac cookie dough and gather any ramekins (I used 8-10 oz. ramekins). Depending on how large your ramekins are and how much jam you use, the measurements will vary. Have fun
Ingredients:
1 batch of Anzac Cookie Dough
Strawberry Jam
Dessicated coconut for garnish
Fresh strawberries (about one strawberry per ramekin)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
1. Prepare one batch of Anzac Cookie Dough
2. Layer about 1/4 inch of cookie dough in the bottom of ramekin. Press into the bottom of the ramekin.
3. Spread a thin layer of strawberry jam over the dough.
4. Add another layer (about 1/4 inch) of Anzac dough, but don’t press the dough down too much. The mixture will not completely fill the ramekin, but it will rise.
5. Garnish with strawberries and coconut.
6. Bake for 20-40 minutes depending on how gooey and delicious you like your crumbles. About 30 minutes will get you a nice browned edge with a soft berry-licious center.
7. Let cool, it will stay hot for quite some time. Enjoy…
Dig in!
om of the day 
