CRUNCHIES

It’s only one week until Anzac Day, and we think it’s time to make a batch of these ‘Crunchies’. They are the Monday Morning Cooking Club’s version of an Anzac biscuit but baked in a slab and then cut into squares for gifting, sharing or just eating the whole slab yourself.

Simply perfect with a good cuppa.

If you want to make the real deal Anzac biscuits, then use the same mixture but instead of baking in a slab, shape small biscuits (see recipe and also this reel I did in 2024 with Ro Knox before the Federal election).

Thank you Saranne Chait for an enduring and wonderful recipe. The recipe was from Saranne’s South African kitchen and was first published in our 2020 book, Now for Something Sweet, and we still LOVE it. Anzac biscuits were made during WW 1 in Australia to send to the troops; these bickies were the perfect choice as they could withstand the long journey and travel time needed to reach the war zones. They are a sturdy biscuit which lasts and lasts! I imagine they were created in South Africa for the same reason.

A special request to all – when you bake your batch, please take a pic and tag us @heylisagoldberg on instagram so we can share the baking love. Check out the the 2026 Crunchies reel on Instagram.

And if you love to cook, we hope you’ve already got a copy of our new book. If not, you can buy it right here.

A gluten free option which is pretty good is in the NOTES under the recipe.

Lisa xx

#anzacday #anzacbiscuits

CRUNCHIES

THE MMCC VERSION OF ANAZAC BISCUITS

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

After cutting into squares… 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Servings: 24 squares

Course: Sweet Things

Cuisine: Australian, South African

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 275 g (1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 110 g (1 cup) rolled oats
• 175 g (¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
• 85 g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 220 g (2 sticks – 2 tspns) unsalted butter
• 2 heaped tablespoons golden syrup
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda baking soda

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F/Gas 2).
2. Line a 32 x 22 cm (12½ inch x 8½ inch) baking tin.
3. Mix the flour, oats, sugar, coconut and salt together in an extra-large bowl.
4. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and golden syrup together, and then stir in the bicarb.
5. Once it froths, pour it into the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.
6. Use your fingertips to separate any clumps that form.
7. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and just smooth the top, not compressing the mixture too much.
8. Bake for 35 minutes or until deep golden.
9. If it is not deep golden at this stage, cook for an additional 10 minutes or so. Leave the oven on at this stage.
10. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out and slicing into squares (as big or as small as you like).
11. Place the cut squares onto a flat baking tray then put into the oven and then switch the oven off for 2 hours.
12. They will become hard and crunchy once they cool completely.
13. IIf they are not as crunchy as you would like, turn the oven on and cook again for a further 15 minutes or so and then allow to cool.

Notes

If you prefer to make traditional Anzac biscuits, use the same mixture and, with a teaspoon, place mounds of mixture on lined baking trays.

Bake at 160C for about 20 minutes or until golden. It will make about 60 biscuits, depending on the size. 

FOR GLUTEN FREE Anzac-like biscuits (can’t really call them Anzacs without oats!), substitute (same weight) brown rice flour for plain flour and quinoa flakes for oats. Also sub 100 g shredded coconut for 85 g desiccated. Everything else remains the same. Using a teaspoon, shape mounds of mixture onto lined baking trays. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Makes about 60.