The Anzac biscuit recipe Stephanie Alexander accidentally left out of The Cook’s Companion

Name: The Anzac biscuit recipe Stephanie Alexander accidentally left out of The Cook’s Companion
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 48
Cuisine: Classic Australian
Ingredients: 125g butter; 1 tbsp golden syrup; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 2 tbsp boiling water; 1 cup rolled oats; 1 cup desiccated coconut; 1 cup plain flour; 1 cup sugar

Missing from the latest Cook’s Companion, Stephanie Alexander’s Anzac biscuit is more than a recipe. It’s a lesson in history, maths, language and STEM.

Stephanie Alexander

April 22, 2026

Anzac biscuits are an Australian classic.Melanie Faith Dove

easyTime:< 30 minsMakes:48

For many Australian households, Stephanie Alexander’s book The Cook’s Companion is the ultimate kitchen bible. Yet she recently discovered that one of her best-loved recipes had been accidentally omitted from the latest edition.

More than just a lunchbox staple, these biscuits are a cornerstone of Stephanie’s Kitchen Garden Program. For students across 1000 schools, baking this eggless, golden treat to commemorate Anzac Day offers hands-on “pleasurable food education”.

It is a lesson that seamlessly weaves together maths, STEM, language and history – a delicious way to connect with the resilient biscuits once sent to soldiers at war.

You’ll need metric measuring scales, spoons and cups, a large saucepan, two mixing bowls (1 large, 1 small), a mixing spoon and two baking trays.

Ingredients

125g butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp boiling water
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional).
Step 2
Combine the dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl and create a well in the centre.
Step 3
Melt the butter and golden syrup in the large saucepan over a low heat.
Step 4
Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water in the small bowl, add to the saucepan and stir in, then turn off the heat.
Step 5
Pour the liquid mixture from the saucepan into the well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Mix until you have a moist but firm consistency.
Step 6
Drop teaspoons of the biscuit mixture onto your baking trays, allowing plenty of space for the biscuits to spread.
Step 7
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to firm up.

This is an edited version of the recipe shared with the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation – a not-for-profit organisation established in 2004 to teach children how to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh food.

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For more details about the foundation or to donate, visit kitchengardenfoundation.org.au