Home

Advertisement

Previous Entry | Next Entry

Biscuits from Afghanistan??

  • May. 21st, 2007 at 12:19 PM

From what i've read on the internet, it seems that Afghan Biscuits are a New Zealand phenomenon. And furthermore, not one person can actually pinpoint why these little beauties are so called. It seems that it is just another classic recipe with no traceable origins from the Edmonds Cookbook, the NZ stalwart of cookery. These were a true favourite in the Bardell house growing up, often made in triple batches, as 6 mouths often meant that 1 batch was all gobbled up before the icing had time to set.



For those of you not familar with this favourite NZ cuisine, Afghans are a chocolate biscuit studded with crunchy cornflakes, iced with chocolate icing and often topped with a walnut half. The recipe is simple and ingredients, basic. Just butter (and lots of it), sugar, flour, cocoa and cornflakes.







Recipe:

makes 16 biscuits
200g butter, softened
75g sugar
175g flour
25g cocoa
50g cornflakes
Cream butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Roll into balls and place on baking sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake 15 minutes at 180C. When cool ice with chocolate icing and top with a walnut half (if desired).

As you can see, my biscuits are sans walnuts. I only had chopped walnuts so decided to leave the walnuts off. A lot of people I know actually pull the walnuts off before chomping down anyway, but they do seem to be traditional. Also, I didn't have any cornflakes in the house so just used crushed up weetbix, which were just as good (and better for you than cornflakes, though that may be besides the point when the biscuits are butter laden).

Sorry guys, I seem to have severe writers block today, so this isn't my best work. Should be back on form tomorrow (well I hope so anyway as I have to write an assignment).

Until then, you should really give this delicious kiwi classic a go, you'll be hooked!
  • Music:Hands Open-Snow Patrol

Tags:

Comments

( Leave a comment )
[info]shelleylala wrote:
May. 21st, 2007 02:40 am (UTC)
I need to make these. I've got the 1998 edition of the Edmonds Cookbook. I love that thiing.
| Reply | Thread
[info]shaunandtamara wrote:
May. 21st, 2007 02:49 am (UTC)
Its great isn't it. I'd love to collect all the editions but its very expensive. My copy is 1979-given to me by my mother-in-law to be. When she found out I was trying to remember the recipes when I was making them, as I didn't have one, she gave me one of her copies (she has about 4 copies). We were very poor then and buying the Edmonds cookbook would have meant something else wouldn't get paid. But now I can afford to buy lots of cookbooks yay, but I still wouldn't give up my copy.
| Reply | Parent | Thread
[info]bdelicious wrote:
May. 21st, 2007 02:50 am (UTC)
A quick search of my own turns up one person's theory: "In Australia, during the gold rush days, there were Afghanis living in Australia, transporting goods with their camels across the great distances." Perhaps in Australia, they were named after the people who brought the biscuits or the ingredients for them, and NZ followed suit with the name.
| Reply | Thread
[info]shaunandtamara wrote:
May. 21st, 2007 03:24 am (UTC)
I too have since found that one. Seems a bit strange though, to name a biscuit after one ethnicity. I also found a bit that said they represented the afghani people-dark body (biscuit), dark hair (icing) and turban (walnut).
Actually theres a women in NZ that looks into stories behind food that I should get in contact with-she has looked into pavlova and anzac biscuit backgrounds too.
So does this mean that Afghans are also popular in Oz?
| Reply | Parent | Thread
[info]bdelicious wrote:
May. 21st, 2007 03:29 am (UTC)
I agree the Afghani-transporters theory isn't all that convincing. The biscuits aren't as popular in Aus as in NZ, I think. You can get them here, though.
| Reply | Parent | Thread
(Anonymous) wrote:
May. 21st, 2007 05:26 pm (UTC)
These are totally new to me - and they look so delicious!

Patricia Scarpin
Technicolor Kitchen
| Reply | Thread
[info]shaunandtamara wrote:
May. 21st, 2007 08:37 pm (UTC)
Thanks. Its always nice to introduce people to something new :)
| Reply | Parent | Thread
[info]a_sweet_fantasy wrote:
May. 21st, 2007 10:15 pm (UTC)
Yum! Those look yummy, decadent, and chewy :]
| Reply | Thread
[info]shaunandtamara wrote:
May. 22nd, 2007 08:20 am (UTC)
I think your description is absolutely spot-on. Thanks :)
| Reply | Parent | Thread
(Anonymous) wrote:
Nov. 13th, 2007 10:03 am (UTC)
britney spears paparazzi pics with paris m2
Then he said he wanted better than similarly a kiss. On the dead date, a coworker later, she ganzen him westward at her centerfold again... http://britney-spears-flash-no-underwear.celebs-sextape.info/
| Reply | Thread
(Anonymous) wrote:
May. 1st, 2009 09:16 am (UTC)
Ugrently need your help!
Huh! I want to get software pack X-Rumer 5.07 PALLADIUM for FREE. Any download link?
I'm so need this magic program! It's can break captchas automatically! Activate accounts via email automatically too! Absolutely great software! Help me!
And did you hear news - price for XRumer 5.0 Palladium will grow up to $540 after 15 may 2009... And XRumer 2.9 and 3.0 - too old versions, it's cant break modern catpchas and cant break modern anti-bot protections. But XRumer 5.0 Palladium CAN!!!!
So help me for download this great program for free! Thanks!
| Reply | Thread
( Leave a comment )