Anzac Biscuits

Nothing too ostentatious, easy enough to be made by anyone of any age, and with a unique flavour that's warm and welcoming - there's something very Strayan about having the Anzac biscuit as one of the iconic Aussie dishes.

Chewy in texture with a crisp base, oats and coconut provide a sturdy flavour base that's enhanced by the sweetness of the golden syrup. Fun fact: these biscuits do not use egg as a binding agent because of their scarcity during World War One.

Although the myth holds that Anzac biscuits were designed to be sent out to soldiers fighting in Gallipoli and on the Western Front, they were more commonly sold at fund-raising events to help in the effort to support the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. However the Anzacs and these 'soldier biscuits' soon became indelibly linked and 'Anzac biscuits' began appearing in cookbooks in the 1920s.

For as long as Anzac biscuits have been part of the national diet, it seems as though there has been a simmering debate about what is the perfect texture: chewy or crunchy? This one is for team chewy, however if you want to crunch it up, just swap out the brown sugar for caster sugar, or go half and half if you want to arrive somewhere in the middle. You can also adjust the baking time to get your biscuits to crisp up a little bit more.

Oh, if you want to make sure your Anzacs don't end up too crumbly, squeeze the mixture firmly before placing on the tray.