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CHOCOLATE AFGHAN COOKIES/BISCUITS

A crunchy, buttery chocolate cookie studded with cornflakes and topped with chocolate icing and a single walnut; a New Zealand treat!

Course Cookies
Cuisine New Zealand
Keyword Afghan, Chocolate, cookies, cornflakes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES:

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 2 cups cornflakes
  • Pinch of salt

FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICING:

  • 1 ¼ cups icing sugar/confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 tablespoon softened butter
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • Dash of vanilla essence
  • 2 tablespoons of hot water
  • Whole or halved walnuts
  • Colored sugar sprinkles optional

Instructions

BAKING THE COOKIES:

  1. Preheat oven to 180 C or 350 F.
  2. Line two baking trays/sheets with parchment paper/aluminum foil or just grease with melted butter/oil/ghee; set aside.
  3. Crush cornflakes with your hands to a coarse mixture.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, cream softened, room temperature butter and sugar with an electric beater until light and fluffy.

  5. Add  whole wheat flour, cocoa powder and pinch salt to the creamed butter-sugar mixture. Beat until well mixed.

    Add crushed cornflakes and mix with your hands or with a spatula until fully combined.

  6. Form small lemon sized balls of the dough by pressing a handful of dough crumbs together and flatten slightly. If you feel the dough is too crumbly, just splash a few drops of water or milk.
  7. Place them on greased or lined baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between cookies.
  8. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the cookies are baked and firm.
  9. Remove, let cool on pan for about a minute and then transfer gently with a flat spatula to a cookie rack to cool completely.

TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE ICING:

  1. While the cookies are cooling, in a small bowl, mix icing sugar, butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and hot water.

  2. Gently mix with a spoon until the mixture is smooth and slightly thick but flowing.

FINISHING THE CHOCOLATE AFHAN COOKIES:

  1. Once the baked cookies are cool, using a spatula/knife, spread the chocolate icing over the cookies and top with a single walnut or sprinkle colored sugar sprinkles.
  2. Keep aside the cookies to allow the icing to set completely; about an hour.

    Enjoy crispy, crunchy and decadent Afghan cookies with a cup of milk or hot coffee!

    Store leftovers in an airtight container.

    HAPPY BAKING!

Recipe Notes

  • If you like, you can use all-purpose flour/maida instead of whole wheat flour.
  • Do not crush the cornflakes too fine; you need the crunchy bite in each cookie!
  • If you do not like or have walnuts, use any topping you like; cashew, pistachios, peanuts, colored sugar sprinkles, dessicated coconut etc.
  • If you are on a low-sugar diet, then just avoid the icing; the cookies taste great nevertheless!