Beginner
Australian / New Zealand
Anzac Biscuits
Source: Traditional
30 min24120 kcal
Vegetarian
Afghan Biscuit
A dark, short cocoa biscuit with crushed cornflakes right through the dough, iced with chocolate and topped with half a walnut — in the Edmonds cookbook since 1930 and in every New Zealand biscuit tin since.
Source
Recipe by New Zealand home baking · 🏺 Traditional · The biscuit tin on top of the fridge — golden syrup, cornflakes, coconut and a slice cut into squares, from the Edmonds cookbook that has been in every kitchen since 1908.
New Zealand · the biscuit tin — An ownerless traditional dish, so no cook is credited. The cited article confirms it as a traditional New Zealand biscuit made from flour, butter, cornflakes, sugar and cocoa, topped with chocolate icing and a walnut. Quantities and method are this book's own.
Watch it being made · 3 videos
⏱ 50 min🍽 20 servings🔥 190 kcal🇳🇿 New Zealand
HalalVegetarian
Steps
Beat the butter and sugar for 4 minutes until pale and light.
Sift in the flour and cocoa and mix to a stiff dough. It will look dry — that is right, there is no egg in this.
💡 No egg and no liquid at all. An Afghan is a short, crumbly biscuit and anything added to make the dough easier to handle ruins the texture.
Fold in the crushed cornflakes with a spoon, keeping the pieces intact.
Roll heaped tablespoons into balls, set them on a lined tray and flatten each slightly with a fork.
Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. They will still feel soft — take them out anyway and let them firm on the tray.
Cool completely. Mix the icing sugar, cocoa, butter and boiling water into a thick icing, spread a spoonful on each and press a walnut half on top.
💡 Tips
- Nobody knows where the name comes from and the question has been debated in New Zealand newspapers for decades. There is no agreed answer.
- The walnut is not decoration — an Afghan without it is not finished, and every New Zealander will tell you so.
- They keep two weeks in a tin and get better after two days as the icing sets into the biscuit.
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