Afghan Biscuits – A Kiwi Classic

Name: Afghan Biscuits – A Kiwi Classic
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 18
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour; 1/4 cup cocoa powder; 7 ounces butter; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 cups cornflakes; 2 cups powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons cocoa powder; 1 tablespoon butter; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 1/2 tablespoons hot water; halved or chopped walnuts

Mandy February 15, 2021 0 Comments

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Afghan biscuits are a New Zealand classic! A soft and crunchy chocolate biscuit (or cookie for my American friends) topped with simple chocolate icing and walnuts. They are the perfect combination of texture and chocolate flavor without being overly sweet.

I hadn’t thought about Afghan biscuits in a long time until my friend Helen asked me about them. One of her friends also grew up in New Zealand and asked her if I had an Afghan biscuit recipe after learning about my blog. I immediately emailed my mum for her recipe. Boy am I glad I did! I forgot just how great Afghan biscuits are.

If you are looking for a crowd pleaser, then look no further! This is the recipe for you. My husband is obsessed……like REALLY obsessed with Cookie Time and he thinks it is the best thing to ever come from New Zealand. Except for me that is! Last time I went home to visit I bought him back a Cookie Time Afghan biscuit which he loved. Well, I am happy and a little shocked to report that he has officially announced that my homemade Afghan biscuit was better than Cookie Time 😱.

Stack of Afghan biscuits with bite missing from top biscuit

What is an Afghan biscuit?

An Afghan biscuit is a soft, dense chocolate biscuit that is topped with basic chocolate icing and walnuts. The recipe has a lower sugar ratio than most traditional biscuits which makes the bitterness of the coco powder more pronounced. The lack of sugar in the biscuit is compensated for by the chocolate icing that adorns the top.

The biscuit also contains no leavening agents resulting in a denser texture. This denseness is perfectly complimented by the crunchiness the corn flakes add to the texture. Traditionally, the biscuit is topped with 1/2 a walnut. However, I like to sprinkle chopped walnuts over the top. This means you get the crunchy, nutty walnut flavor in each mouthful.

How do you make Afghan biscuits?

Making Afghan biscuits is SUPER easy! And, it only requires a handful of pantry staples.

Flour
Cocoa powder
Butter
Granulated sugar
Cornflakes
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract
Walnuts

Start by sifting the flour and cocoa powder together, then set aside. If you do not want to pull out the sift you can whisk the two ingredients together instead. I find that sifting does a better job of removing any lumps of cocoa powder than whisking does.

Next, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the sifted flour and cocoa powder. Finally, mix in the corn flakes until incorporated. This may take a little work as the mixture will be rather dry. It is OK if some of the corn flake get crushed during this process, but you do not want them all to become tiny pieces. Leaving some larger chunks will help with the texture.

Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of dough onto a parchment lined cookie tray 2″ apart. Lightly press down the tops of the biscuit to slightly flatten. I like to use an offset spatula for this. If you do not have an offset spatula a fork works just as well. In fact that is what we would use when I was a kid. If the spatula or fork gets sticky, light flour it before moving on to the next biscuit. Bake the biscuits at 350°F for 15 minutes.

Balls of biscuit dough on parchment lined tray

Once the cookies are completely cooled top them with the basic chocolate icing and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. You will want to add the walnut will the icing is still fresh and wet to ensure that it sticks.

HOW EASY IS THAT YOU GUYS? If you make these I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

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