Chewy Coconut-Walnut-Oat "Anzac" Cookies

These oatmeal-based cookies were originally created during World War 2 to raise money for war veterans. The Anzac name came from the acronym for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. I first made these cookies several years ago out of a magazine, and I was hooked. They are sweet, thin, chewy, crispy, and the nuts add some crunch. I prefer to make these cookies with unsweetened flaked coconut, but it is often hard to find - and the regular sweetened flaked coconut is absolutely delicious too. If you can't find golden syrup (or just want to use something you might already have), other syrups like maple will work as a substitute.
RECIPE: Chewy Coconut-Walnut-Oat "Anzac" Cookies

makes 30-50 depending on how what size you make your cookies

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1/3 cup golden syrup (look for near pancake syrups)
1/4 cup hot water
2 teaspoons baking soda

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil and set aside.

In an extra large bowl, combine flour, sugar, oats, coconut, walnuts, and salt.

In a large saucepan, combine butter and golden syrup. Melt butter and bring mixture to a boil. Ina small bowl, stir together the hot water and baking soda. Immediately add the soda mixture to the boiling butter mixture (the addition of the soda mixture will cause the mixture to rise in the saucepan). Pour the hot mixture into the flour mixture, stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1-1.5 inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Using the palm of your hand, flatten balls slightly. Bake in preheated oven about 12 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.
**If you want your cookies to come out a little thicker (they tend to be pretty thing and crispy/chewy), just add 1/4 cup flour to your mixture.
Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

Store layered between wax or parchment paper in an airtight container, or freeze for several months.