My curriculum in High School wasn’t a particularly challenging one. I didn’t choose 4 unit anything or try my hand at anything like physics. I was more a person that enjoyed English class, loathed maths and just wanted to be having recess. I chose my subjects accordingly and one of the subjects I went for was Home Economics. It was a subject where we made bizarre things.
Our very first item was something that should never make it outside of a Home Ec class. It started with a slice of white bread. We then placed a piece of (square) ham on top of this and then separated the egg. The whites were whipped up to stiff peaks pavlova style but without the sugar and the fluffy egg whites were then spread over the ham and bread. A dent was made in the centre and the egg yolk was placed on top and it was then served. Nobody ate theirs beyond one bite the uncooked unsweetened egg whites had a slimy texture to them and yet that this was a recipe that was oft repeated year after year. I suppose this was the very first exam – if we could eat it then we could stay!
There were all sorts of monstrosities and the only recipe that we ever made that was tasty and worth making again was Anzac biscuits. American readers, Anzac biscuits are actually cookies and if you’ve never tried them, you really must-I promise you they’re delicious, just ask any Australian 
. They’re so popular here and for good reason. Extremely easy to make, they were originally designed to be sent to Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) troops overseas and were made to last for a long time and there are no eggs because they weren’t easily obtained around war time. Please don’t interpret that to mean that they’re short of anything at all, they’re a wonderful balance of flavours and textures. I decided to do an interpretation since it is Anzac Day on Wednesday.
I wanted to make them thinner than regular Anzac biscuits so that my mum could eat them as she broke a tooth on a brazil nut recently. Also, I like them a bit better when they’re thinner and more delicate. A suggestion from the Charlie’s Cookies competition by reader donnalee99 asking if I had tried them with macadamias and another from reader gin-tonic suggesting spreading chocolate on the bottom of them were both too tempting and I decided to whip up a batch incorporating their suggestions.
The cookies were crisp and thin and slightly chewy and the macadamia gave them an amazing flavour and crunch – so much so that all batches of Anzac biscuits that I make from now on will just have to include macadamias. The chocolate? Well I preferred mine without the chocolate but Mr NQN wholeheartedly preferred them with chocolate. In fact he loved them so that he ate ten large biscuits in one go and this is the man that claims not to like biscuits or cookies…
So tell me Dear Reader, what is the worst thing that you’ve made to eat? And did you actually enjoy school or was recess more your thing? And were you more a maths person or an english person?
Oh and just a teeny little reminder, I’m in the running for the Sydney Writer’s Centre Best Australian Blogs 2012 competition for the People’s Choice award! I would so, so, so appreciate it if you could vote for me (link here) 
xxx
Chocolate & Macadamia Anzac Biscuits
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes
Makes about 24 biscuits
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup/125 g/4.4 ozs macadamia nuts, chopped
- 3/4 cup plain or all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 130g/4.6 ozs butter
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup (can also use honey)
- 1 tablespoon hot water mixed with 1/2 teaspoon bi carbonate of soda
- 250g/1/2 pound dark chocolate (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 175°C/375°F. Line two large trays with parchment (you will actually put six biscuits on each tray so you can line four baking trays if you want). In a medium sized bowl mix the oats, brown sugar, flour, nuts and coconut so that it is evenly distributed.
When the liquid mix is added to the dry
Place far apart…they spread!
2. In a small saucepan (or even in the microwave) melt the butter until completely melted. Add the golden syrup and bi-carb and water mix. Whisk to combine and then add this liquid mixture to the dry mixture and stir until everything is moistened. Shape into walnut sized balls with hands and place far apart on the baking sheet as they will spread a lot – I fit six per tray. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool on the tray for five to ten minutes and then place on a cooling rack as they will firm up then. Repeat with rest of the dough.
3. If you are making these with chocolate, melt the chocolate in a double boiler (a heatproof bowl fitted over a saucepan of simmering water ensuring that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water) or in the microwave on 50% power with 60 second bursts, stirring between bursts. Spread the chocolate over the bottom with an angled spatula and leave bottoms up to set.
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87 Comments | Add your own
Anzac cookies are delicious and yours look irresistible!
Cheers,
Rosa
Am making Anzacs tomorrow and think I’ll give your recipe a shot Lorraine. Am sure a chocolate base will go down well in our house and use up a few Easter eggs too. Just wanted to let you know that we had a baby boy (hunter) 3 weeks ago and hence, I’ve taken to reading your blog at 3am now. Stop taunting me with Sydney cafes and pop over to wa
hope your well
yummo!!!
Anzac biscuits are a tradition every year at our place and it’s nice to see a variation on the theme too.
Oh gosh, thank goodness they had moved on to less disgusting things when i did home ec!! I don’t think I cooked anything too disgusting there. At home, however is another story. I can’t name just one because there are too many (certified kitchen hazard here – could burn water).
I was both maths and english in my lower high school years, before my brain went awol and thus also my motivation..
Those anzac cookies have given me a craving for some.. especially with the macadamias which are probably my favourite nut!
I’ve only ever had bought Anzac biscuits, it’d be great to make them at home. I like the addition of the macadamias. I only did Home Economics for a year but we had plenty of opportunity to make strange things but nothing to rival that very odd ‘sandwich’ GG
We have macadamia addicts here so I will be adding those in, I might even spread a few with chocolate for my partner as he is a massive chocolate fan.
wow, how can you break a tooth when chomping on a macadamia nut?
I absolutely hated school, particularly high school. It was a rotten school with mostly rotten students and most teachers that couldn’t teach. Thank gosh for my beloved English, French and geography classes. That was my escapism and I thoroughly enjoyed the books we read and studied as well as my teachers. They were the fair few that were worth their weight in gold and added so much value to my education. I too hated maths and most science L, although I loved biology – I found it fascinating.
I was definitely an English person. Mathis just wasn’t my thing… I LOVE ANZAC BISCUITS! The fact that you went and put macadamias in there, well, that is inspired!
What a lovely twist on a great Australian and New Zealand tradition. I haven’t made mine with macadamias before but believe they would work really well. But I have dipped mine in chocolate! I cannot believe they made you eat that bread/ham/raw egg concoction. I thought at least there was going to be another slice of bread added and then it be pressed inside a jaffle iron and toasted. What an initiation! At the end of Year 11 my Year Co-Ordinator advised I would no longer be taking maths – apparently there was no hope for me. I was told I would now be doing General Studies – never got the point of that subject either xx
We sound the same in terms of school and subjects. I loved English but loathed maths too. Food Technology was also a firm favourite of mine and I remember making Anzac biscuits too.
Love the take on this classic. Yum!
Very nice. they are my very favourite cookie of all time. Crispy and fat ( like me) or thin and dainty … I dont care. The macadamias would be perfect for this recipe
I had a few friends who did home economics and I’ve got to say they cooked many disgusting things as well. it’s as if the wrote the curriculum in 1965 and never changed it!
Yummy ANZACs though, I will be making these on wednesday with the kids.
That sandwich sounds terrible Lorraine. We never did anything quite so strange – more artistic like the Candlestick Salad – diced up jelly, pineapple ring, banana standing up in ring and a maraschino cherry perched on top.
My oven cleaner scones were probably the worst tasting thing I’ve ever made (never bake scones after you’ve cleaned the oven unless your absolutely sure its been rinsed completely of the oven cleaner!)
Love the sound of the macadamia Anzacs but I’m with you about not introducing the chocolate.
Lovely recipe and a must make biscuit for this week!
). Always hated English though…
I loved maths, history and home economics (hence my blog title
Tried and tested! Best ANZAC biscuits EVER!!!
I actually do know about Anzac bikkies (lots of Aussie friends who have greatly improved my vocabulary in general), but never have made them. This recipe inspires!
The worst thing I ever made was
an Indian recipe for Mushrooms with Cinnamon. I know…they even sound horrid and they were! I was a long-time English teacher, so literature was my favorite, but oddly enough as an adult I also taught maths. Go figure.
These look delicious. I also baked a batch of Anzacs over the weekend – I add chopped dates and crystallised ginger to mine and make them thick and soft/chewy. I need to get them out of the house as soon as I’ve baked them or I tend to eat the lot!
Hi NQN,
Is desiccated coconut the same as shredded coconut?
Thanks.
You can’t go wrong with chocolate and macadamia I don’t think. I didn’t mind the work part of school but I did love maths and I took physics. Yes I was bit crazy!
Yummy! My birthday is on Anzac Day so I do revel in a good Anzac biscuit. They look devine! Last week I made some with slithered almonds and orange zest. They were gorgeous too. You should give them a try Lorraine. Thanks for the recipe!
Oooh, like Anzac bikkies aren’t great enough already!
Keep the choclate!
Time to get my bake on! I used to make dozens and dozens of Anzac biscuits for a cafe each week, and they were always big winners. I think I would prefer them without the chocolate though, although they must have been good for Mr NQN to scarff so many down
I loved school, but no way would I have eaten that eggy thing in home ec. !
Worst thing I’ve had to eat… soggy boiled eggplant is pretty bad- nearly put me off it for life, but the worst was probably when my dad smushed my pills up on those bright green sweet gerkhins and I threw up for hours!
I thought it was only my school that made us cook pointless and generally revolting food in home ec. Some 30 years later I can still remember the first thing we made was a dessert with biscuit crumb base and topping which was a combination of jelly and condensed milk. Not quite as bad as raw egg and ham but not far off….
I wish they still offered Home Ec! That’s such an odd way of doing a ham&egg sandwich.. though it would be pretty cool to look at
If there was a slice of cheese between the ham and bread, and the whole thing was baked – it should turn out like an impressive looking open sandwich! Btw the biccies look great!
What a fantastic adaptation! I think I will make these this year instead. Also, gorgeous styling, nice work
I’ve never tried Anzac Biscuits, but these look so good that they’re going right on my ‘to bake’ list. Thank you Lorraine!
Great additions! I prefer a chewy cookie myself but as thin biscuits go, these look delicious and I certainly wouldn’t turn one down – ha! Happy Anzac Day
You know I do not usually bake, but I love Anzac biscuits and the making of them. These look different and quite irresistible
! Well, I was one of those oddbods who absolutely adored school [am still doing multiple tertiary studies here and overseas at 76!] and the science subjects and geography were definite faves 
! Often skipped recess and lunch! Too exciting in the classroom and library! Now am more into medical and nutritional subjects, modern history, politics and Buddhism! Wonderful fun!
What the WHAT is that crazy egg home ec dish?! In my cooking class, we started with ‘frog in a log”, which was taking a slice of bread, cutting a hole in the middle, heating up butter in the saucepan, putting the bread in, breaking an egg into the hole, then frying. And lo! It was good
I also remember an awesome upside down pineapple cake, which I never made again.
Love this spin on the ANZAC bikkie! Would be good sandwiched with peanut butter, methinks
Yum, yum, yum! Those Anzac biscuits sound amazing! Ishould get some ANZAC spirit and make them for wednesday!
So said he passed away 12 yrs ago, but I always remember those stories
I love cooking and I started cooking when I was around 5. I don’t remember clearly my disasters in the kithchen, I just remember they were many. I used to cook mainly when I was on summer school holidays. In Bulgaria they are 3 months long and I would spend them with my grand parents. I remember always cooking some disaster in the kitchen, but my grand-father was always very encouraging & would say it was great & eat everything in his plate. Once I cooked spaghetti bolognese, but didn’t have spaghetti, so I used the very fine pasta that you use in soup. U need to cook it just a minute or two, but I didn’t know that & cooked it for 10-11 min, the same as pasta. At the end there was no pasta left, just something horrible, white & gluey, but my grand-father said it looks great & ate it all! He was my biggest fan always
These cookies look more than delicious! I will have to try them!
What a lovely recipe for the holiday coming up!
Yummo – macadamias + chocolate make Anzacs even more delicious!I liked English way more than maths, but did maths/science at school as I was told that’s how to get a good TE (HSC score). We had to make some pretty revolting things in home ec too – the blancmange we made in home ec has to come up there as pretty gross (this from me who adores my Mum’s blancmange).
Another beautiful recipe Lorraine and I love the photos!! The darker background is just perfect. Your post bought memories of home ec at school flooding back. Pretty much everything we made was horrible. The worst by far though we’re revolting ‘subs’ which were basically toasted bread rolls with cooked mince and tomato sauce. Aghh! The culinary crimes were so great I had to drop it in yr 11 and go with art instead.
I loved home economics and my favourite part must have been melting butter and golden syrup together for anzacs. Am glad I was never made to eat raw egg white – sounds disgusting! Love a flat chewy one. And I love choc chips in oat biscuits so the chocolate bottom sounds excellent
School recess was definitely more my thing although I had far better luck with my Home Science class – our first meal was cream of carrot soup w/ rice, 2nd was stuffed and crumbed chicken breast and dessert (the most important but I can’t remember) – the meal is soooo retro – I forgot to omit that this was 1984 and I was in Year 11. I also held a dinner for my family and made all the dishes shortly afterwards. I was so excited, I set up the dining room with mums best linen, her finest crystal and china. My very first dinner party. My brother hates carrots but loved the soup (I used to make it all the time when we were still at home and kids) and my dad doesn’t like any kind of cream soup but ate it because I made it for him, mum she just eats anything – she isn’t fussy and fun to feed. It was so long ago – maybe I should make it again for fun. I concur Anzac cookies are delicious and so easy to make. Funny thing I am like you love chocolate but I don’t want chocolate with my Anzac’s – I love the oats and coconut! xo
How funny seeing this today. I was just thinking about making some chocolate ANZACS to take to the dawn service on Wednesday. Great minds think alike
At school I was more of an English person than maths. In fact, I hated maths.
YUM! I love the idea of macadamia in one of my all time favourite cookies!!!
When i was in primary and intermediate school, english was always my favourite subject. Now i have developed a passion for maths haha!!!
I was certainly not a math person. I did love, and still do love language art…:) Your cookies are perfect. Tell me something, dear Lorraine. Do you ever have a day off? I am just amazed by your productivity: the book, the blog, and all related activities! Too bad I can only vote for you once!
Vote is in!
I love Anzac biscuits! I imagine macadamias would be delicious in them, but I’d prefer mine without chocolate.
I was a maths fan – I can easily say I hated english
Mmm… I love the chocolate/macadamia combo and I bet your biscuits would have been awesome!
I am making anzacs tomorrow (in fact I DREAMT about it all last night) and now I must go and get some macadamias.
That home economics meal sounds truly revolting… I have never even heard of a dish like that! we made Blacmange in home ec, a recipe I haven’t made again…it wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t worth repeating.
I love anzac biscuits- but I’m a purist and I love the originals, slightly underbaked so they are soft in the middle.
Looks delicious love your recipes. Congrats on being nominated best wishes xx
As you know I’m a newish Australian and I’ve said for weeks that I was finally going to make ANZAC biscuits this week for the first time.
John was standing over my shoulder and I said chocolate macadamia ANZAC biscuits.
“Doesn’t that just make them chocolate macadamia biscuits?” he said. LOL
men
Attention Candice,
Desiccated coconut is a much finer grate then shredded. The shredded, I think, is only acceptable when really fresh & not nice when dried out. I have read it described by a certain chef as reminding her of toenail clippings & have not even thought of using it for anything since! Cheers
In home ec grade seven we made a stir fry with vegemite and bonox as the flavour enhancers. exotics like Soy Sauce were yet to hit little old casino town.
I also got a’s in home Eco we didn’t make anything shocking like you did and this in the 1970′s when strange things appeared.
We did have an intersting home eco teacher who had an affair with the bus driver on one of the school camps ! This was with impressionable 15 yr olds watching on !
We got to make spaghetti bolognese in our Home Ec Class. It was very tricky, we had to open the can and heat in a saucepan and then we had to eat it at ten in the morning. Ick. Your Biscuits look much better!
WOW These look really yum cookies..
Can you believe I have never tried them, Totally on my must make list…
Love your recipe Lorraine, especially incorporating Macadamias! I buy them in 1kg bags of broken pieces, as along with pistachios, I always find something to add them to!
Loved English at school, some maths, but never did get the hang of Algebra or slide rules and thankfully have never had a need for either since leaving school in 1966….
Worst thing I ever made was a flummery style dessert I took to a party back in the 80′s. It didn’t set, looked awful and I carried in this swishing bowl of gunk. Lesson learned, always try it out first at home, before attempting to impress! Perhaps you should compile a book on people’s cooking disasters?
I love your first image, it is so simple and elegant.
I always make Anzac biscuits around this time of year, I too add chocolate but as a drizzle on top. I will have to add macadamia’s to my next batch!
That sandwich thing sounds horrible , food economics or food tech as we call it is now great ! Fav subject! We make really yummy things, like meat pie, sushi, noodles, vanilla slice, cakes and others !!
Will definitely have to try those Anzac biscuits!!
Can you believe that I have yet to have a proper ANZAC biscuit or baked any? Fail
Dear Lorraine,
I think my fear of baking is as high as the stack of beautiful Anzac cookies that you have baked.
They look super crispy and I can’t fault you for taking a good bite out of that top cookie.
How perfect to use Macadamias for Anzac biscuits
I have never made ANZAC biscuits in all the different baking I do. But will try as I’ve a guilty fetish that’s costing me $$$: Rock’n'Roll deli in Brisbane’s suburb of Greenslopes stock a 6 pack of large ANZAC biscuits drizzled copiously with white chocolate….they are SO more-ish & addictive. Can’t justify the $9 pricetag no matter how good they are! Here’s to experimentation & new traditions
Please, Rosa and others – they are ANZAC biscuits, not cookies. They are not American. Remember what the acronym stands for.
And thank you Lorraine for getting it right. Not sure about the chocolate though!
I sound like a pedant I know, but to me they are an important tradition.
These are SO yummy looking >_~ like I told you on twitter I m out of nut so now I need to wait Sighh worse thing I ve made… Would have to be the carrot cake I recently made… It was just all wrong lol
I enjoyed classes and was a nerd back in high school and also Uni
but I hated matha with a passion hahaha
Yum,I’m so making these on Wednesday, having the family over for lunch and it will be good to keep the Anzac tradition alive.
I remember making ‘Pigs in Blankets’ for Home Economics lol, it was such a foreign dish for little Italiana me used to pasta, pizza, eggplant parmigiana etc. They were cooked frankfurts ‘hidden’ in mashed potatoes. I thought it was the funniest thing but at least it wasn’t gross like your raw egg dish eeew!!
I was happy at school loved most of my subjects, faired well but t’was a little naughty much to my mum’s horror. She chased me round the kitchen table one night after parent-teacher interviews because my Science teacher over-dramatised that I was driving him mad!
Yes, happy days indeed!
Oh fabulous! You just reminded me that my receptionist (whose son as recently had to go gluten free) is bringing some GF Anzacs to work tomorrow!
That Home Economics creation sounds truly horrific! Glad you got the bug for baking Anzac biscuits though as these look lovely – the chocolate layer on the bottom is such a good idea!
Gorgeous!!! =)
These biscuits sound amazing!!!!
I am definitely making this tomorrow for my Dad as he religiously eats an Anzac biscuit with his nightly cup of tea and I had just noticed that he has reached the bottom of the barrel so to speak – and is resorting to snacking on gingernuts, which are usually reserved for mum.
When in High School and enjoying a stayover with a friend, we decided to raid the kitchen and create a cake without a recipe. What was most memorable was not the lop-sided semi-sunken surface but the surprising bright shade of green it presented. -Very off-putting, as I had never seen a pandan cake or anything baked in such an irregular colour.
Yeah – school was the uncomfortable time between food breaks and I was definitely an English devotee with a lust for fine art.
LOVE the story about the ham sandwich. We’ve done crazy stuff like that, and I enjoyed the thought here that it was the “initiation” into home ec. LOL
Oh Lorraine, they look so good. Adding choc makes perfect sense. Sadly our house will be homemade ANZAC biscuitless this year as I don’t have the energy. Hmm, may email this post to the boys so they can drool
Oh I am so trying these in my next baking frenzy! I hope that you win the peoples choice award,you have my vote. I think it’s only fair in return for the daily dose of information and amusement I receive
These Anzac Biscuits look absolutely divine, Lorraine! I am salivating just looking at the photos. I know what I’ll be cooking with the kids tomorrow
Those Anzacs look divine. Might give them a go tomorrow.
Hmmm, there were some monstrosities in my home ec class too. Probably TVP bolognaise being the worst. Although I am not sure that is as bad as your raw egg thing. **shudder**
At school maths was my thing, 4 unit, along with physics. Recess and lunch were appreciated to.
I’ve heard such lovely things about Anzac Biscuits but I’ve never tried them — now with this recipe you’ve shared I have no excuse!
Such a funny story about those sandwiches — I wonder what was the purpose of the egg white spread on top, lol!
i’m a special person–i loved math AND english! although i ended up being a scientist, you’d better believe that my lab reports and research papers are grammatically perfect!
Omg what school did you go to? I’m not sure i’ve heard of anything quite so revolting sounding… surely some kind of cruel prank? Eww!
I was an English girl for sure
Made these today (minus the choc coating). So quick and easy, turned out beautifully! I’ve eaten 4 already…..
I MADE THEM!
YAY! and they were absolutely the best ANZAC bicuits ever! Thank you so much for the fantastic recipe. Just a few notes: I thought mine were bigger than walnut size yet I managed to make 36 (3 trays of 12). They didn’t spread THAT much and the ones I pressed down (with the back of a spoon) before baking turned out better. Verdict was plain lovers 7, chocolate lovers 1! I love chocolate but didn’t enjoy it so much on the ANZAC biscuits. Hubby loved it though. No need to find another ANZAC recipe now
Thanks again.
I was wondering about ANZAC and ANZAC cookies on Twitter… thank you for explaining!
I loved school but I wish I had Home Ec, even as disastrous as it sounds!
Lorraine, as I was munching one of your gorgeous anzacs, batch no. 3 on a different day, I read your shortlisting for the 2012 Australian blog of the year. So well deserved! I cook so many of your recipes, and use your restaurant reviews as a guide to interesting and tantalising places to dine in when in Sydney. Congratulations again, it is fantastic to see talented people recognised!
Despite a disasterous start, I’ve turned into a good cook! My worst cooking effort was “Passionfruit Fluff”, made as dessert for the first meal I cooked for my new in-laws. I guess I was making a point in using an artificial sweetner in the mousse-style recipe,not realising that heating the sweetners available in 1973 made them BITTER!! The dear in-laws insisted on eating their dessert while I spat mine out and refused to eat any more. I was MORTIFIED!!! Never did that again.My dear m-i-l was a fantastic country cook who used a lot of butter/cream etc and disapproved quietly of my insistence on using low fat/low sugar as a rule…..
I just made these
yum yum totally delicious and I’m so glad I wanted for the macadamia nuts hehe but mine look a little fat 
These biscuits were just stunning!!! Decadent, delicous and so easy to make. THANK YOU!!
Hi KNKJ! Thanks so much! I’m so proud of this recipe and I’m glad that you liked them
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[...] This year I was all set to make my usual batch based on hubby’s mum’s recipe (see here) when I saw a delicious adaptation on my friend Lorraine’s blog. [...]
[...] picture! I’m sorry I missed last week’s-I clean forgot! This image is from the Anzac biscuit recipe xxxMade From Scratch: Flour Tortillas!Makes 12 large or 24 small flour tortillas4 cups plain, all [...]
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