Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a large oven tray and line with baking paper.

Chop apricots into very small pieces.

Heat a small pan and when hot add fennel seeds. Toast until fragrant (be careful not to burn or over-brown or they will lose their flavour). Transfer to a mortar & pestle and crush down into fine pieces.

For the cookies: Using a large bowl, add flour, oats, shredded coconut, sugar, apricots, salt and 1 tsp of ground fennel seeds. Mix together.

Using a small saucepan, combine butter and golden syrup and melt over low heat. Once melted add hot water and baking powder. Stir to combine.

Pour melted butter mixture over dry ingredients and combine well until you have a buttery crumbly dough.

Divide into 8 sections. Form rounded balls then squash down and shape into a cookie, about 1cm in thickness. Place biscuits on the baking tray and bake for 12 minutes.

To finish: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and using a brush, brush each cooking with butter followed by a sprinkling of the remaining crushed fennel seeds. 

Allow to cool for a minimum of 1 hour. The longer the biscuits rest the more juicy and chewier they become. 

Optional: For best results, make them the night before so they are perfect for eating the following day.