Anzac biscuits are closely associated with Anzac Day on 25 April, which commemorates the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who served in the first world war. Made with oats, coconut and golden syrup, the biscuits are said to have been popular because they travelled well and kept for long periods, making them suitable for sending to forces overseas. My version here, a slightly less austere take on the classic, sandwiches two small biscuits with a lightly salted, olive oil-enriched dark chocolate ganache. The result is crisp at the edges, soft within and not too sweet.
Anzac sandwich biscuits with dark chocolate filling
Prep 5 min
Cook 35 min, plus cooling
Makes 12 s
For the biscuits
90g rolled oats
45g plain flour
40g light brown sugar
30g caster sugar
40g desiccated coconut
80g unsalted butter
40g golden syrup
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the ganache
110g dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids), chopped
60ml single cream
2 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp flaky sea salt
Put the oats, flour, sugars and coconut in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Melt the butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan om a low heat. In a small cup, dissolve the bicarb and salt in a tablespoon of boiling water, then add this to the butter mix – it will foam slightly. Tip into the dry ingredients and stir to combine evenly.
Heat the oven to 180C (170C fan)/350F/gas 4 and line two baking trays with baking paper. Roll the dough into balls the size of a hazelnut (about 15g) and put these on the baking trays, spacing them well apart. Flatten firmly with the base of a glass or your palm, then bake for about 10 minutes, until deep golden brown (if you prefer biscuits that are crisp all the way through, add an extra minute or two to the bake time). Remove, leave to cool briefly on the tray, then transfer to a rack to cool completely – the biscuits will crisp up further as they cool.
To make the ganache, put the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just steaming, then pour it over the chocolate. Leave for a minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in the olive oil and salt, then leave to cool until thick but spreadable.
Spread a thin layer of ganache (10-15g) over the underside of one biscuit and sandwich together with another biscuit. Repeat with the remaining biscuits, then set aside for about 20 minutes for the ganache to set slightly before serving.