Healthy Anzac Biscuits

Anzacs are one of my favourite biscuits for tea-time. I am always in a quest for healthier alternatives to regular baked cakes and cookies as me and family have a sweet tooth. So anything that has wholemeal, multigrain flour or oats tends to attract me. I love the taste of Unibic Anzac cookies which I discovered in my office cafeteria couple of years back and I am still hooked on. An obsessive, compulsive baker that I am I always wanted to try baking them at home. I finally got around to baking them recently.

For those not familiar with these biscuits, they are made from wheat flour ( plain /wholemeal), rolled oats, coconut and golden syrup/molasses.  They have their origin in Australia/New Zealand and they were sent to soldiers fighting in World War 1 by their loved ones from home. They can be crunchy and chewy and have a lovely moreish taste. No wonder they are still popular!

I have baked two batches recently and I followed this recipe first time :

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/24550/anzac+biscuits

The only deviation from this recipe was that I substituted equal amount of honey for golden syrup and used Wholewheat flour instead of plain flour.

What is amazing about this recipe is the fact that the ingredients are easily available and the process of mixing and shaping the biscuits is quite easy. The recipe calls for melted butter instead of butter at room temperature so there is no wait involved to soften butter. You can mix the dough by hand using a spatula which I find convenient. Also no rolling of dough is involved. Just take small portions and flatten them between your palms!

The first batch didn't last very long so I was enthused to try it second time. This time I tried to make it healthier by using vegetable oil in place of butter and using soft light brown sugar.

Here is my adapted version:

Ingredients:

1 cup Wholewheat flour
1 cup instant oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
3/4 cup soft light brown sugar / caster sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil of your choice or melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 tbsp of boiling water

You will also need non stick baking tray. Grease the tray if using regular baking tray. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade.

Process:

- Mix the dry ingredients first : Wholewheat flour, oats, desiccated coconut and sugar. Mix well in a mixing bowl and keep aside.

- In another microwave safe bowl, mix oil and honey and heat it in microwave for 30 seconds until just warm. Add vanilla extract and baking soda dissolved in boiling water to oil and honey mixture and stir it to blend.

- Now add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with spatula until the mixture is clumpy.

- Take small portions (about the size of a lime)  and shape into a ball first. Then flatten the ball between your palms and place the cookies on the baking sheet.

- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until it starts becoming brown on the edges.

- Take out the baking tray and let the cookies cool in the tray for 5 minutes before you transfer them to a cooling rack.

- Once cooled completely, store them in air-tight container at room temperature. They will last for days...

The first batch of cookies using melted butter. The colour is lighter as it has caster sugar.