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Afghan biscuits
New Zealand's chocolate cornflake biscuits topped with chocolate icing and a walnut half
Afghans are a New Zealand classic, found in the old home baking books passed down in Kiwi kitchens and in the glass cabinets of cafés and bakeries from Christchurch to Whangārei. Nobody is quite sure where the name came from. The dough is rich with butter and cocoa, and lightly crushed cornflakes give each biscuit a crunchy, slightly rugged texture. A swirl of soft chocolate icing and a walnut half finish them off. They're not too sweet underneath, which is why the icing works so well. Chef's tip: crush the cornflakes only lightly with your hand; fine crumbs disappear, but big flakes give the crunch an afghan is known for.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the biscuits
For the icing
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Step 2: Beat 7 oz butter, 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes.
3 minStep 3: Sift in 6 ½ oz plain flour and ⅞ oz cocoa powder and mix to a soft dough. Lightly crush 1 ¾ oz cornflakes in your hand and fold them in gently, so they stay in flakes.
3 minStep 4: Roll heaped tablespoons into balls, set them 4 cm apart on the trays and flatten each slightly with a fork.
5 minStep 5: Bake for 12–15 minutes, until they smell chocolatey, look dry on top and feel just firm at the edges. Because they're dark, colour won't tell you when they're done. A common mistake is baking until they feel hard: they firm up as they cool, and overbaked afghans taste bitter.
14 minStep 6: Cool on the trays for 5 minutes, then on a rack until completely cold.
20 minStep 7: Sift 5 ½ oz icing sugar and 2 tbsp cocoa powder into a bowl, add ½ oz butter and enough 2 tbsp hot water to make a thick, spreadable icing. Spread a spoonful on each biscuit and press a 20 walnut halves half on top. Leave to set for 30 minutes.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does afghan biscuits take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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