An Easy Recipe for Anzac Biscuits

Anzac Biscuits Recipe adapted from Donna Hay's Recipes (all photos taken by me on my Sony RX100 II)

An Anzac biscuit is a sweet popular treat originating from Australia and New Zealand, associating itself with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War 1.
As well as being a national treasure to us Aussies, these biscuits are also a favourite of mine because they are so easy to make and the ingredients so simple. It only takes me just under an hour to prepare and bake these goodies, and it makes approximately 35 biscuits.

Ingredients:
2 cups (180g) rolled oats
1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour
2/3 cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar
3/4 cup (60g) dessicated coconut
1/3 cup (115g) golden syrup
125g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda
2 tablespoons hot water

Instructions
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius (325 degrees Fahrenheit). Place the oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a bowl and mix to combine (I use a wooden spoon and metal bowl; no need for electrical beater). Place the golden syrup and butter in a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring, until melted.
Combine the bicarbonate of soda with the water in a small bowl and add to the butter mixture. This mixture will foam up. Pour into the oat mixture and mix well to combine. Spoon tablespoons of the mixture onto baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper and flatten into 7CM rounds, allowing room to spread. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until deep golden. Allow to cool on baking trays for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

*Note: For a more chewy texture, I bake the biscuits for 10 minutes exactly and allow to cool on baking tray for a little longer before transferring it to a wire rack. For a crunchier texture, I bake for 12 minutes or so. I check for the colour to determine the texture - the more golden and brown, the more crunchy.

I find these biscuits are so good to eat, and I find a more healthier alternative to other treats. I like to put extra oats and/or coconut for a chewier texture. One time I ran out of oats and only scraped enough to add only one cup of oats instead of two. The result was boring and flat. For me, oats and coconut are the keys!

Enjoy!

A Beauty Review: Nak Hair Products

A Beauty Review: Nak Hair Products, thanks to Nak Hair. 
Products (from left to right): Nak Aromas Oil Spray; Nak Heat Beat Protective Sealant; Nak Ultimate Treatment 60 Second Repair; Nak Blonde Shampoo; Nak Repl-ends Blonde Leave in Moisturiser; Nak Body-n-shine Conditioner; Nak Dry Klean Dry Shampoo; Nak Surf Styler for 'Beach Hair'; Nak Colour Fix Blonde Lock in Treatment; Nak Done-n-Dusted Weightless Styling Powder

A few weeks ago, Nak must have felt I was in dire need of some new Hair Care Products since I've been dying it so frequently. So I got myself a care package to test out and review. I was presently surprised, especially at the extensive range available from Nak and how well Nak caters for all types of hair.
Nak is a proud all Australian Hair company that provides hair products to the professional hair industry and consumers worldwide. Nak is inspired by the Australian lifestyle - our unique location, our sun-drenched environment, blue skies, vast oceans and majestic landscapes.
I'm pretty proud right now to be talking about these great Australian hair products since I'm a proud Australian myself.
Now, I dye my hair quite frequently and use plenty of bleach to get it lightened and dye to get it to the right colour. I went from blonde to balayage to brunette to auburn blonde with blonde highlights and now back to brunette in the last year. So I need a reliable Hair range to keep my hair healthy:

Nak Blonde Shampoo: While trying out these products I was a very light Auburn blonde with blonde highlights through my hair. It's really important to me to keep yellow and brassy tones away so using a shampoo for colour treated hair works best for me. Nak Blonde Shampoo came out of the bottle in an intense violet colour and foamed up when applied to wet hair (a huge thumbs up when shampoos foam up well). The violet pigments are deposited into my hair and thus counteracts the yellow tones, leaving my blonde highlights a natural looking colour. My colour definitely looked fresh.

Nak Body n Shine Conditioner: I really like that this conditioner isn't heavy. So when I rinsed it doesn't leave my hair feeling weighed down, which is great for my colour treated hair. At the same time it does thicken my hair, which is important as I know chemicals have stripped away at my hair follicle.

Nak Repl-ends Blonde Leave In Moisturiser: To complete the process, I use the Repl-ends blonde Leave in Moisturiser when I towel dry my hair when I feel my blondes are in need of colour treatment. This Leave in moisturiser also comes out in violet tones so I know it's doing its job without feeling heavy in my hair.

Nak Colour Fix Blonde:  I like to use the Colour Fix Blonde for when I don't have time for the Rep-ends Blonde Leave In Moisturiser, I just simply apply to towel dried hair. It smooths outs my ends and keeps colour locked in. This is a great alternative.

Nak Ultimate Treatment 60 second Repair:  This intense moisturising treatment is one my favourites from the range. I use it every third or forth wash to keep my hair hydrated, instead of my Nak Body-n-Shine Conditioner. It also rebuilds the hair follicle. After a wash with this product, my hair feels stronger.

Nak Heat Beat Protective Sealant: I apply this sealant just before I'm about to use heat, like a hair dryer or hair straightener. This leave in thermal spray protects my ends from frying with the intense heat I use. It helps to prevent future split ends. I never used to use this type of product but it really helps in the long run!

Aroma Oil Spray with Argan Oil: This leave in spray is amazing. It helps detangle, improve condition and leaves my hair shiny. I use it everyday and it is light and adds a healthy touch to my dull chemically treated hair.

Dry Klean Dry Shampoo: I love dry shampoo. Because my hair is chemically treated I don't like to wash it everyday, more like every second or third day. I prefer not to overwork my hair and strip its natural oils all the time. So in between washes I like to spray this Dry Shampoo. It soaks up the excess oils especially around my fringe and scalp area without the use of water. Once sprayed on, I wait two minutes and brush my hair thoroughly. My hair is left feeling fresh.

Nak Surf Styler for Beach Hair: I really love this product, especially for my shorter hair. Combined with Australian sea salt, this spray is a medium hold leave in styler that adds texture and helps with the look of 'beach-hair'. I spritz in towel dried hair for a lived in messy look or sometimes I hold my hair upside down and blow-dry on low heat to increase texture and movement.

Nak Done-n-Dusted Weightless Styling Powder: For control of my hair especially my fringe, I like to use this Weightless styling powder. I was a little sceptical at a powder being used for styling but it works - it thickens and separates without weighing down hair. I just simply sprinkle a little onto my palms and massage through my dry hair, concentrating on my fringe and ends.

All in all, Nak does an extensive and high quality range of hair products. I'm really happy with my experience with Nak especially with the huge range. I can search for products I know that are catered to my ever changing hair and its needs. Sometimes I feel like messy beach hair, sometimes I feel like a cleaner neat hair do - and I can trust Nak to find the right styling product. And these days my hair is brunette so I know in full confidence I can soon switch from my Blonde range to the Hydrating Range that concentrates on protecting coloured hair and reducing fade.
Thanking Nak for the products I reviewed in this blog post!