Carolyn Wall's fruity Anzac biscuits

Recipe and image extracted from New Zealand's Hottest Home Baker with Dean Brettschneider (Penguin, $35), the companion book to the TV series.

Ingredients

140 g	Butter
⅔ cup	Condensed milk
80 g	Rolled oats
70 g	Sunflower seeds
50 g	Sultanas
50 g	Dried figs, stems discarded, chopped (Main)
75 g	Dried apricots, chopped
65 g	Coconut
125 g	Flour
90 g	Brown sugar
5 g	Baking soda
2 Tbsp	Water, boiling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Line baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
3. In a saucepan, melt butter and condensed milk and set aside.
4. Place all remaining ingredients (excluding baking soda and water) in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Place baking soda in a jug and pour in boiling water. Stir well to dissolve. Add to butter and condensed milk mixture. Pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients and mix.
5. Place large tablespoonfuls of mixture (approximately 80g each) on to prepared tray and flatten with the palm of your hand. Leave approximately 2cm between each.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until biscuits have risen slightly and are golden-brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool a little before transferring to a cooling rack.
7. For something different, make a simple chocolate icing and decorate the top of the biscuit in a circular pattern.
8. To finish, place a blanched almond in the centre of the icing.