By ANNA USHER

Ahead of ANZAC Day this Saturday, Cammeray institution Maggio’s has done something its loyal customers have been begging for over many years: handed over Carlo Maggio’s closely-guarded ANZAC biscuit recipe.

And frankly, it was no mean feat.

Carlo, one of the three brothers behind the much-loved Italian cafe and pasticceria, has spent years refining his biccies. Tweaking, tasting, adjusting. Every year, a little closer to perfect.

In the early days, he baked them at home and brought them into the cafe to share with regulars. Now, it’s a tradition he carries on with his daughter in the family kitchen, rolling dough and flattening biscuits side by side.

This year, for the first time, the Maggio family is sharing the recipe with Mosman Collective readers, so you can bake them at home with your own.

Brothers Carlo, Christian and their siblings opened Maggio’s Cafe on Miller Street in 1998, inspired by their Italian heritage and a love of good coffee and honest, home-style cooking.

Twenty-eight years later, Maggio’s is a Cammeray fixture. The cafe at 457 Miller Street and the Italian bakery and pasticceria two doors down at 463 Miller Street draw a steady stream of locals, weekend in, weekend out. There’s a North Ryde outpost too.

In true Italian style, it’s family-run, family-focused, and the recipes have always been the ones that mattered most to the Maggio family.

Which is what makes this one special.

For locals planning to grab coffee and pastries on the long weekend, Maggio’s has confirmed its ANZAC Day trading hours across all three sites.

Cammeray Bakery (463 Miller Street)
Saturday 25 April: 6am to 2pm
Monday 27 April: 6.30am to 3pm

Cammeray Cafe (457 Miller Street)
Saturday 25 April: 6am to 3pm
Monday 27 April: 6am to 3pm

North Ryde
Saturday 25 April: 7am to 3pm
Monday 27 April: 7am to 3pm

Recipe – Makes 24

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 1 pinch of salt
• 250 grams unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons golden syrup
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tablespoons boiling water

Method

• Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the plain flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, shredded coconut and salt in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
• Make the wet mix. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the golden syrup and stir to combine. In a small bowl, dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the boiling water. It will bubble and froth, which is what you want. Add the bicarb mixture to the butter and stir.
• Combine. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until a uniform dough forms.
• Shape. Roll heaped tablespoons of dough into balls and place on lined baking trays, leaving room to spread. Flatten slightly with your palm.
• Bake at 160°C for 12 to 13 minutes. Pull them at 12 minutes for chewy centres, or go the full 15 for a crunchier biscuit. They’ll firm up as they cool, so don’t over-bake.
• Cool. Leave on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They’re fragile while hot.

Made them at home? Tag @maggioscafe + @mosmancollective on Instagram or TikTok.