Anzac Cookies

This is an Australian Cookie.

There are many other things you can do with the tasty Anzac dough. It's great as a cobbler topping or even a tart base. Leftover cookies keep well in an air-tight container for a few days. Have fun experimenting with other zests or spice additions, anything that pairs nicely with oats and coconut will likely work here. For a more traditional Anzac cookie leave out the orange zest and orange water.

1 cup flour (all-purpose or whole wheat pastry)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fine grain natural cane sugar OR brown sugar
1 cup finely shredded non-sweetened coconut
scant 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 cup butter, cut into little cubes (margarine is fine to use)
2 Tbl Golden Syrup or honey
zest of one medium orange

1 Tbl boiling water
2 Tsp baking soda
1 Tbs Orange blossom water

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl; flour, oats, sugars, and coconut. Mix well.

In a small saucepan over low heat combine the butter, syrup (or honey), and orange zest. Stir until melted and remove from heat. In a small bowl whisk together the boiling water and baking soda. Stir into the butter. Now pour the butter mixture over the big bowl of oats and stir. Add the orange blossom water and stir again. This is a dough I like to mix it with my hands to make sure the butter is evenly distributed and the dough is moist throughout. I baked this batch of cookies in a well-buttered, heart shaped cast iron pan but you can simply drop them by the Tbs onto parchment lined baking sheets. Make sure they aren't too flat or the will get greispy. Bake for about 12 minutes or until deeply golden.

Make 18-24 medium cookies. The recipe can be doubled.