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New Zealand Hokey Pokey Ice Cream Recipe

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Hokey Pokey Ice Cream is a classic ice cream in New Zealand for good reason! Easily make this absolutely scrumptious honeycomb ice cream at home today, let me show you how!

A gold rimmed bowl containing Hokey Pokey Ice Cream and a gold spoon, and a gold rimmed plate with honeycomb in the background.

Hokey Pokey Ice Cream, along with Chocolatey Afghan Cookies, is a favorite of New Zealanders. This ice cream features bits of crunchy sweet honeycomb toffee in (and on) vanilla ice cream.

You'll experience the perfect combination of textures and flavors when savoring this ice cream. Imagine creamy vanilla ice cream contrasted with the crackle and crunch of sweet honeycomb toffee pieces and you'll understand why Hokey Pokey Ice Cream is such a beloved treat in New Zealand.

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Easy And Delicious New Mexican Panocha Recipe

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Discover the rich flavors of New Mexico with this easy Panocha recipe! A traditional sprouted wheat pudding made with panocha flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

Traditionally served during Lent and Easter, this sweet, comforting dessert is a true taste of Southwest heritage.

A red casserole dish containing New Mexican panocha. Some of the panocha has been removed for serving.

My introduction to panocha came during a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I picked up a bag of panocha flour from Casados Farms which produces Traditional New Mexico foods.

I love delving into the regional cuisines of the places that I visit, so I was super excited to bring this home with me and put it to good use to make panocha!

Jump to:

What Is Panocha?

A package of panocha flour from Casados Farms. There is writing on the package stating this is sprouted whole wheat flour.

Panocha is a type of sprouted whole wheat flour, and is typically used to make a traditional New Mexican dessert also called panocha.

This dessert is a delicious thick and sweet pudding made with panocha and all purpose flours, butter, sugar, and water, and can include warming spices like cinnamon and cloves.

This sprouted wheat pudding was a staple dessert traditionally enjoyed during Lent, Easter, or Christmas.

It also typically involved cooking it for a long time over a low and slow heat, sometimes in empty lard or coffee cans.

Why You Will Love This Panocha Recipe!

You'll love this easy panocha recipe because:

  • I've cut down on the amount of mixing normally required, as well as the amount of time required. The traditional panocha recipe involves more mixing and time than this recipe.
  • The hands on time is about 20 minutes, and the rest of the time your panocha will be baking in your oven
  • This recipe is easy to follow and makes about 10 servings so you can treat family and friends to this delicious pudding!
  • You'll be delighted with the delicious flavors of the panocha flour combined with the rich sugary buttery cinnamon flavors which combine to make a taste which is out of this world!

So are you ready to make this sweet treat that will delight your taste buds? Let's get to it!

🥘 Ingredients

Ingredients to make panocha displayed including all purpose flour, panocha flour, light brown sugar, salted butter, water, and cinnamon.

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this pudding like dessert. They are:

  • Panocha flour - sprouted whole wheat flour
  • All purpose white flour
  • Salted butter
  • Water
  • Light brown sugar
  • Ground Cinnamon

The panocha flour may be difficult to find so I've linked to The Fruit Basket Albuquerque which sells it at a great price.

You will be able to purchase all the other simple ingredients at your local grocery store.

🔪 Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200F. Butter your casserole dish with a small amount of butter, then melt the stick of butter in your large saucepan on medium low heat.

A Dutch oven containing butter that is melting.

Add the brown sugar to the melted butter, and stir continuously for around 6 minutes (on medium low heat). Meanwhile, boil 4 cups of water in your small saucepan.

A Dutch oven containing melted butter and light brown sugar.
Add light brown sugar to melted butter and stir...
A saucepan containing boiling water.
Meanwhile boil some water which will be added in the next step.

Taking care not to burn yourself, add the boiling water to the sugar and butter mixture. Stir to incorporate the water into the mixture for around 1 minute.

A Dutch oven containing hot water, sugar and butter. There is a blue silicone spoon inserted in the liquid.

Now add the panocha flour, followed by the all purpose flour, and stir this continuously for around 5 minutes. Then add the cinnamon and stir to combine.

A Dutch oven containing a hot liquid made of water, butter, and brown sugar. There is a bowl containing panocha flour poised above the Dutch oven.
Add the panocha flour...
A Dutch oven containing panocha flour, melted butter, sugar, and water. There is a person holding a bowl of all purpose flour poised above the Dutch oven.
Followed by the all purpose flour...
A Dutch oven containing a mixture of ingredients including panocha flour to make panocha. There is a blue silicone spoon inserted in the Dutch oven.
Stir mixture for around 5 minutes on medium low heat.
A Dutch oven containing a mixture of ingredients to make panocha, with a blue silicone spoon inserted into the mixture. There is a person holding a small bowl containing cinnamon poised above the Dutch oven.
Last but not least stir in the cinnamon.

Add the mixture to your buttered casserole dish and then bake for 3 hours.

A red casserole containing panocha prior to it being baked in the oven.
Add the mixture to a buttered casserole dish....
A red casserole dish containing panocha baking in an oven.
Bake for 3 hrs at 200F.

A little crust should develop on the top of your panocha at the end of the 3 hrs.

A red casserole dish containing panocha which has been cooked in the oven.

And that's it! Behold your beautiful panocha!

🎥 Video

Suggestions For Serving

A green bowl with the word "Comfort" containing New Mexican panocha with a spoon. There is a glimpse of a red casserole in the background.

Now it's time to enjoy your traditional pudding from New Mexico!

You can serve this at room temperature, cold, or even warm it's all good!

One recommendation is to add a little whipped cream to your dessert to make it even more heavenly.

Another great way to enjoy this is with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

I hope you enjoy this traditional New Mexican dessert recipe! If so, please rate this recipe and comment below, I would love to hear from you!

FAQ

How should I store leftover panocha?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator, and enjoy within a week! I don't think it will last that long though!

What is panocha?

Panocha is a sprouted whole what flour, as well as a traditional thick pudding like New Mexican dessert made with panocha flour.

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!

Here are some other New Mexican recipes that you may enjoy:

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

Finally, I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.

Cheers!

Grace

A red casserole dish containing New Mexican panocha. Some of the panocha has been removed for serving.

Easy And Delicious New Mexican Panocha Recipe

Grace Stewart
Enjoy Panocha, a delicious pudding made from sprouted wheat flour. Traditionally eaten at Lent, this New Mexican dessert is easy to make and absolutely delicious any time of the year!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, New Mexican
Servings 10 servings
Calories 312 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Casserole dish for baking the panocha, I used size 8" x 10"
  • 1 large saucepan for combining/cooking the ingredients prior to baking
  • 1 small saucepan for boiling the water

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup butter use salted butter (this is 1 stick of butter); plus a little extra butter for buttering your casserole dish
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 4 cups water boil the water for use in this recipe
  • 2 cups panocha flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 ts ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 200F. Butter your casserole dish with a small amount of butter, then melt the stick of butter in your large saucepan on medium low heat.
  • Add the brown sugar to the melted butter, and stir continuously for around 6 minutes (on medium low heat). Meanwhile, boil 4 cups of water in your small saucepan.
  • Taking care not to burn yourself, add the boiling water to the sugar and butter mixture. Stir to incorporate the water into the mixture for around 1 minute.
  • Now add the panocha flour, followed by the all purpose flour, and stir this continuously for around 5 minutes. Then add the cinnamon and stir to combine.
  • Add the mixture to your buttered casserole dish and then bake for 3 hours. A little crust should develop on the top of your panocha at the end of the 3 hrs.
  • Enjoy! Serve this at room temperature, cold, or even warm it's all good!

Notes

Please note that the Nutrition Information is only an estimate as generated by an online nutrition calculator.
Enjoy this chilled, at room temperature, or slightly warmed.  It's all delicious!
This delicious pudding would be great served with a topping of whipped cream!

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 30mgPotassium: 116mgFiber: 1gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 21IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg
Keyword panocha, pudding
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Easy Carolina Reaper Chocolate Brownie Recipe

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Love chili and chocolate together? These Carolina Reaper Chocolate Brownies are the ultimate "sweet heat" treat. Fudgy, rich, and easy to make, they feature one of the world's hottest peppers for a kick that chocolate lovers will crave. Perfect for spicy food fans and daring dessert nights!

Four Carolina reaper chocolate brownies stacked on top of each other next to a bottle of Sonoran Spice Company Carolina Reaper Powder.

Chili and chocolate are a wonderful pair! And they pair beautifully in these Carolina Reaper Chocolate Brownies, which will fulfill your every chocolate craving!

Believe me...these fudgy brownies pack some heat, but they are also deliciously chocolatey and very easy to make.

If you love chili and chocolate, you gotta make these spicy rich chocolate brownies using one of the hottest chilies in the world!

You're going to love both making and eating these spicy and luscious brownies, so let me jump into what ingredients you will need for this best brownie recipe with Carolina Reaper!

Jump to:

🥘 Ingredients

Ingredients need to make Carolina Reaper Chocolate Brownies including butter, sugar, large eggs, all purpose flour, brown sugar, extra bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, Carolina reaper powder, and cocoa powder.

Great news! You only need a few simple ingredients to make these spicy and perfect brownies with rich chocolate flavor. So gather the following for this easy recipe:

  • Extra bittersweet chocolate bars for baking- For best results, use a great quality bar. I recommend Ghirardelli (you can use milk chocolate if you prefer)
  • Cocoa powder - I recommend Ghirardelli
  • Vanilla extract
  • Brown sugar
  • Granulated sugar
  • Eggs
  • Salted butter
  • All purpose flour
  • Carolina reaper powder - I highly highly recommend Sonoran Spice Carolina Reaper Powder. It's a superior product!

You'll notice there aren't any chocolate chips in this recipe. I really love using the rich dark chocolate bar squares for baking instead of the chocolate chips as you'll get a richer chocolate flavor!

Ok, let's make these homemade Reaper Brownies, an easy brownie recipe better than any box mix!

🔪 Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a 9"x9" baking pan.

Place the butter in your microwave safe bowl and melt the butter in your microwave. Add 1 bar of the chocolate and melt the chocolate in the melted butter. Add the remaining ½ bar of chocolate and melt that in the butter as well. If needed, microwave the butter and melted chocolate mixture at 15 second intervals until the chocolate has completely melted.

A bowl containing melted butter and Ghirardelli chocolate squares above the bowl and behind the bowl.
Melt the butter, then add 1 of the chocolate bars...
A bowl containing melted chocolate with a Ghirardelli chocolate square.
Stir until the chocolate melts, then add the remaining ½ bar of chocolate and melt that too...

In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs.

Now add the sugar and brown sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Stir or whisk until the ingredients are well combined.

A metal bowl containing whisked eggs and a whisk.
Whisk the eggs....
A metal bowl containing whisked egg, cocoa powder, brown sugar, sugar, and a whisk.
Add sugars, cocoa powder and vanilla...
A metal bowl containing melted chocolate and a whisk.
Whisk until well combined.

Time to add the butter and chocolate mixture to the large bowl. Stir or whisk until well combined.

A metal bowl containing a whisk and a mixture of whisked eggs and cocoa powder, and a white bowl containing melted chocolate and a whisk.
You now have 2 bowls with luscious chocolatey flavors...
A metal bowl containing a whisk and a mixture of melted chocolate and whisked egg and cocoa powder.
Combine these and stir or whisk until well combined.

Now add the flour and stir it in, followed by the Carolina Reaper powder.

A bowl containing melted chocolate with flour being mixed in with a spoon.
Stir in the flour...
A bowl containing brownie batter to which Carolina Reaper pepper powder has been added. There is a spoon resting in the batter.
And last but not least stir in your gorgeous Carolina Reaper powder!

Pour this beautiful brownie batter into your 9"x9" baking pan, and bake in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. The top should have a shiny crust and a toothpick should come out mostly clean when inserted into the middle.

A red baking pan containing cooked Carolina Reaper Chocolate Brownies.

Cool completely before cutting. Using a plastic knife (wiped clean between cuts) works great to cut your fudgy chocolate brownies!

Suggestions For Serving

A red pan containing several cut up brownies.

Get ready to enjoy these luscious and delicious brownies!

This spicy chocolate treat is perfect with a glass of milk. The milk is a lovely drink, but of course it also plays a practical role in that it can help ease the pain if you need a little relief from spicy and chewy brownies.

A scoop of vanilla ice cream would also be a great accompaniment to these wonderful spicy moist brownies.

Carolina reaper brownies are a great and easy dessert, and a great gift for chili heads! However, don't be naughty and spring them on unsuspecting friends and family! 😆

Enjoy your homemade brownies! And please let me know if you made these and how they turn out for you by commenting below!

I hope you will consider these Carolina Reaper brownies as the BEST brownies you have ever enjoyed!

FAQ

What is the Scoville Scale rating for the Carolina Reaper?

Carolina Reaper peppers measure between 1.5 million - 2.2 million SHU (Scoville Heat Units) on the Scoville Scale. HOT!

How can I store these Carolina Reaper brownies?

These brownies can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days when well wrapped (ideally wrap with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and then place in a plastic bag). They can also be refrigerated for a few days, and also frozen when wrapped as previously described, for around 2 months.

Can I use milk chocolate instead of the extra bittersweet chocolate called for in this recipe?

You'll get the most intense chocolate flavor with the extra bittersweet chocolate, but by all means if you prefer milk chocolate this would also be superb!

Some Other Spicy Recipes You May Enjoy!

Here are some other spicy recipes that you may enjoy:

1,000 Foods To Eat Project

In conclusion, brownies are listed in the book 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, by Mimi Sheraton. I am working my way through the foods listed in this book. This is called my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project. Brownies is food #82 in my project! Please visit the 1,000 Foods To Eat Project page to see some other MUST TRY foods of the world that you may love to try!

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.

Cheers!

Grace

A red pan containing several cut up brownies.

Easy Carolina Reaper Chocolate Brownie Recipe

Grace Stewart
Chocolate and chili are the perfect pair, and here they team up to make the most scrumptious Carolina Reaper Chocolate Brownies! You'll love the sweet heat of these brownies!!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 237 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 9" x 9" baking pan
  • 1 medium microwave safe bowl for melting the butter and chocolate
  • 1 large mixing bowl for combining all of the ingredients for the batter
  • whisk

Ingredients
  

  • 6 oz chocolate bar squares for baking I recommend extra bittersweet chocolate bar squares by Ghirardelli (this is 1.5 bars of 4oz/bar chocolate)
  • ¾ cups butter I used salted butter (1.5 sticks of butter = 12 tbsp)
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder I recommend Ghirardelli
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ts vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ ts Carolina reaper pepper powder vary the amount to your liking (½ ts gives you a really nice heat!)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a 9"x9" baking pan.
  • Place the butter in your microwave safe bowl and melt the butter in your microwave. Add 1 bar of the chocolate and melt the chocolate in the melted butter. Add the remaining ½ bar of chocolate and melt that in the butter as well. If needed, microwave the butter and chocolate mixture at 15 second intervals until the chocolate has completely melted.
  • In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs.
  • Now add the sugar and brown sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Stir or whisk until the ingredients are well combined.
  • Time to add the butter and chocolate mixture to the large bowl. Stir or whisk until well combined.
  • Now add the flour and stir it in, followed by the Carolina Reaper powder.
  • Pour this beautiful batter into your 9"x9" baking pan, and bake in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. The top should be shiny and a toothpick should come out mostly clean when inserted into the middle.
  • Cool completely before cutting. Using a plastic knife (wiped clean between cuts) works great to cut brownies!

Notes

This recipe is inspired by and adapted from The Official Cookbook of the Chile Pepper Institute's recipe for Ghost Pepper Brownies.  The authors are Paul W Bosland and Wendy V Hamilton.
Please note:  the nutrition info doesn't include the Carolina reaper powder nutrition, and is only an estimate.  The information will vary according to what type of chocolate you use, etc. 
I estimated 1 brownie per serving, assuming you cut the brownies into 12 pieces.
Feel free to reduce or increase (if you dare!) the amount of chili to your liking.
Above all, enjoy these scrumptious spicy brownies!!

Nutrition

Calories: 237kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 38mgPotassium: 178mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 99IUCalcium: 45mgIron: 2mg
Keyword brownies, carolina reaper, spicy brownies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Easy New Zealand Afghan Cornflake Cookie Recipe

by 1 Comment

One of New Zealand's most beloved treats, Afghan Biscuits are rich chocolatey cornflake cookies topped with dreamy chocolate icing and a toasted walnut. Crunchy, decadent, and absolutely irresistible — they're the perfect addition to your holiday cookie table or anytime you need a sweet treat!

New Zealand Afghan Cornflake cookies displayed on a red baking tray.

If you are looking for an irresistible treat for the holiday season (or any day for that matter), then you MUST TRY these delicious cookies which hail from New Zealand. New Zealand Afghan Cookies (or Afghan Biscuits as they are called in the Land of the Long White Cloud) are perfect for your Christmas dessert table or for gifting your friends and family!

Along with Hokey Pokey Ice Cream, Afghan Biscuits are a favorite of the Kiwis!

Let me tell you about these incredible cookies which your whole family will go nuts for!

Jump to:

What Are New Zealand Afghan Biscuits (Cookies)?

I first came across these cookies in the book 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, by Mimi Sheraton. Ms Sheraton described them as a crunchy chocolate cookie perfect for teatime, popular both in New Zealand and Australia. I also learned that they are especially beloved during the Christmas holidays.

The main ingredients of these biscuits are corn flakes, cocoa, and vanilla. The corn flake cereal gives these Afghans an enticing crunch. And the liberal amounts of cocoa and vanilla are the perfect combination for this rich chocolatey cookie.

If that wasn't enough, these cookies also have a chocolate topping! This topping is also made with cocoa and vanilla, and the perfect finishing touch is a toasted half walnut.

Why these cookies are called Afghan Biscuits is not as straightforward as what they are. Some theories as to how they got their name include that they could have been first made by Afghani immigrants, or perhaps during the Afghan War.

Another theory is that the craggy looking top of the cookie resembles the mountainous landscape of Afghanistan. I opt for this theory. 😊

If you are ready to make these heavenly morsels, then please read on and I'll tell you what you need to make this easy dessert!

🥘 Ingredients

Bowls containing ingredients for Afghan Cornflake cookies including corn flakes, softened butter, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and vanilla.
Cookie dough ingredients
Bowls containing ingredients for Afghan Cornflake cookies including walnuts, powdered sugar, vanilla, water, cocoa powder and butter.
Icing ingredients

So here are the simple ingredients you will need to make this sweet treat:

And for the icing:

  • Powdered sugar
  • Cocoa powder
  • Butter (either salted or unsalted is fine)
  • Vanilla extract
  • Water

Please gather your ingredients and roll up your sleeves, and get ready to have a blast making this delicious treat from New Zealand!

🔪 Instructions

This recipe makes about 20 cookies (biscuits).

Preheat your oven to 350F. Add the softened butter and sugar to a mixing bowl and cream together for around 2-3 minutes, or until fluffy and creamy. You can use your stand mixer or hand mixer for this.

A stainless steel mixing bowl with softened butter and sugar.
Add butter and sugar to your mixing bowl.
A stainless steel mixing bowl with creamed butter and sugar.
Cream until creamy.

Now add the cocoa, vanilla and flour and mix until thoroughly combined. You can use your stand mixer or hand mixer for this.

A stainless steel mixing bowl with creamed butter and sugar. Cocoa powder, flour and vanilla have been added to the creamed butter and sugar.
Now add flour, cocoa and vanilla.
A chocolate cookie dough mixture in a stainless steel mixing bowl. The paddle attachment for the stand mixer is poised above the bowl.
Mix to combine thoroughly.

Add the crunchy cornflakes and stir in lightly using a spoon rather than your mixer. I recommend this so as not to break up your corn flakes.

A stainless steel mixing bowl with creamy chocolate cookie dough and corn flakes. There is a blue spatula with a wooden handle resting in the bowl.
Add corn flakes.
A stainless steel mixing bowl with creamy chocolate cookie dough and corn flakes mixed into the dough. There is a blue spatula with wooden handle resting in the bowl.
Gently stir in the corn flakes by hand.

Shape your cookies by lightly rolling large spoonfuls (a little over a tablespoon) of cookie dough into ball shapes. There should be enough dough to make about 20 cookies. Place these on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper which has been placed on a baking sheet.

Leave some room between the cookies as they will flatten when baking.

Chocolate Afghan cookie dough with cornflakes shaped into small balls and placed on parchment paper.

Bake cookies for around 13-15 minutes. They will be soft when removed from the oven. Leave them on the baking tray for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Easy New Zealand Afghan Cornflake Cookies on a silicone baking mat.

Make The Icing

While the cookies are baking and cooling you can make your icing. Add powdered sugar, cocoa, melted butter, and vanilla to a large bowl and mix together thoroughly.

Add the hot water a little at a time until you get the consistency of icing that you want. I used almost all of the 2 tablespoon of warm water for my icing.

A mixing bowl containing powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and cocoa powder.
Add powdered sugar, cocoa, melted butter and vanilla to a large bowl and mix.
A mixing bowl with powdered sugar and cocoa powder. There is a silicone spoon in the bowl and a glass bowl with water poised above the bowl.
Add warm water a little at a time and stir.
A mixing bowl containing chocolate icing. There is a silicone spatula in the bowl.

Icing The Cookies And The Finishing Touch!

Lightly toast the walnuts in a small skillet on medium heat.

Toasted half walnuts in a skillet.

Ice the cookies. I used a small spoon and my fingers to spread the icing onto the cookies. Then top with a lightly toasted walnut half and try not to eat them all in one go!

Easy New Zealand Afghan Cornflake Cookies on a silicone baking mat. The cookies are topped with a half walnut.

Suggestions For Serving

Afghan cornflake cookies displayed on a Christmas tree shaped plate.

Grab yourself a cup of tea or coffee, and an Afghan cornflake cookie or two. These are perfect for an indulgent teatime or coffee time.

They are also great for school snacks, and as mentioned wonderful for serving to your loved ones during the holidays. They will be the star of the show!

Believe me, your sweet tooth will be over the moon delighted with these Afghan biscuits!

FAQ

What is the best way to store Afghan biscuits (cookies)?

Store your Afghans in an airtight container. They will keep for a few days, if they last that long!

Can I freeze Afghan biscuits?

Afghan biscuits freeze very well! Place them in a freezer bag and enjoy when you desire a special treat!

1,000 Foods To Eat Project

In conclusion, New Zealand Afghan Biscuits is listed in the book 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, by Mimi Sheraton. I am working my way through the foods listed in this book. This is called my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project. Afghan Biscuits is food #71 in my project! Please visit the 1,000 Foods To Eat Project page to see some other MUST TRY foods of the world that you may love to try!

Some Other Great Recipes You May Enjoy!

Here are some other great recipes that you may enjoy:

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

Finally, I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.

Cheers!

Grace

New Zealand Afghan Cornflake cookies displayed on a red baking tray.

Easy New Zealand Afghan Cornflake Cookie Recipe

Grace Stewart
These Easy New Zealand Afghan Cornflake Cookies are a chocolate lover's dream! These cookies, or biscuits as they call them in New Zealand, are chocolatey rich and crunchy with cornflakes. Make a double batch as they won't last long!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 44 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine New Zealand
Servings 10 people
Calories 219 kcal

Equipment

  • baking tray or sheet
  • silicone mat or parchment paper
  • stand mixer or hand mixer optional but makes creaming and mixing easier!

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter softened and at room temperature; you can use salted or unsalted; this is equivalent to 2 sticks of butter
  • 1.25 cups all purpose flour
  • .25 cup cocoa powder
  • .5 cup white sugar
  • 2.5 cups corn flakes
  • 1.5 ts vanilla extract

For the chocolate icing

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon butter melted
  • 1 ts vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon water warmed; you may or may not use all of this water

Garnish

  • 20 walnut halves toasted!

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350F. Add the softened butter and sugar to a mixing bowl and cream together for around 2-3 minutes, or until fluffy and creamy. You can use your stand mixer or hand mixer for this.
    A stainless steel mixing bowl with creamed butter and sugar.
  • Now add the cocoa, vanilla and flour and mix until thoroughly combined. You can use your stand mixer or hand mixer for this.
    A stainless steel mixing bowl with creamed butter and sugar. Cocoa powder, flour and vanilla have been added to the creamed butter and sugar.
  • Add the cornflakes and stir in lightly using a spoon rather than your mixer. I recommend this so as not to break up your corn flakes.
    A stainless steel mixing bowl with creamy chocolate cookie dough and corn flakes mixed into the dough. There is a blue spatula with wooden handle resting in the bowl.
  • Shape your cookies by lightly rolling large spoonfuls (a little over a tablespoon) of dough into ball shapes. There should be enough dough to make about 20 cookies. Place these on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper which has been placed on a baking tray. Leave some room between the cookies as they will flatten when baking.
    Chocolate Afghan cookie dough with cornflakes shaped into small balls and placed on parchment paper.
  • Bake for around 13-15 minutes. They will be soft when removed from the oven. Leave them on the baking tray for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
    Easy New Zealand Afghan Cornflake Cookies on a silicone baking mat.

Making The Icing

  • While the cookies are baking and cooling you can make your icing. Add powdered sugar, cocoa, melted butter, and vanilla to a large bowl and mix together thoroughly.
    A mixing bowl containing powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and cocoa powder.
  • Add the hot water a little at a time until you get the consistency of icing that you want. I used almost all of the 2 tablespoon of warm water for my icing.
    A mixing bowl containing chocolate icing. There is a silicone spatula in the bowl.

Icing The Cookies and The Finishing Touch!

  • Lightly toast the walnuts in a small skillet on medium heat.
    Toasted half walnuts in a skillet.
  • Ice the cookies. I used a small spoon and my fingers to spread the icing onto the cookies. Then top with a lightly toasted walnut half and try not to eat them all in one go!
    Easy New Zealand Afghan Cornflake Cookies on a silicone baking mat. The cookies are topped with a half walnut.

Notes

This recipe makes approximately 20 cookies (biscuits).
Store these cookies in an airtight container (they will keep for a few days).
Or you can freeze them and enjoy later!

Nutrition

Calories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 79mgPotassium: 130mgFiber: 2gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 168IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Afghan biscuits, cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

DELISH South Carolina Benne Wafers Recipe

by Leave a Comment

Discover one of the most unique and historically fascinating cookies in all of American food culture — South Carolina Benne Wafers! These irresistibly crispy, nutty, buttery, and lightly sweet sesame seed wafers are a beloved Charleston tradition. These incredibly addictive little cookies are absolutely perfect with coffee or tea, as a gift, or simply one after another because you literally cannot stop eating them!

Benne wafers on a gold rimmed plate.

I was introduced to Benne Wafers when I was researching foods from South Carolina. These wafers feature benne seeds (or sesame seeds) and are a historic snack from the South Carolina low country.

These sesame cookies are irresistible, with a crisp texture, and it's truly impossible to eat just one.

I'm super thrilled to share this easy and delicious South Carolina Benne Wafers recipe with you!

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What Are Benne Wafers?

Benne wafers are thin, nutty, salty and sweet (but not overly) sesame seed cookies that originate from South Carolina.

The word "benne" is the Bantu word for sesame, and the Bantu believe that eating benne seeds brings good luck. Bantu is a group of Niger-Congo languages spoken in Central and Southern Africa.

The benne seeds were brought to South Carolina by slaves from these regions in the 17th century. These seeds were planted and the resulting benne plants were utilized at every stage of their growth process. Benne was also cultivated for cooking oil in South Carolina in the mid 1700's and farmed extensively in the Antebellum era.

The history of the benne wafer traces back to Antebellum times, and it's a Charleston favorite that you can pick up at many gift shops when visiting Charleston. It is said that good luck comes to those who receive these delicious cookies as a gift.

So if you can't make it to Charleston, good news is that you can easily create these delicious cookies in your home kitchen!

Now allow me show you what you will need to make this classic southern snack. 😃

🥘 Ingredients

Small bowls containing butter, light brown sugar, an egg, flour, sesame seeds, salt, a can of Clabber Girl Baking Powder, and a small bottle of Vanilla Extract.

Here are the simple ingredients (easily found at your grocery store) you will need for this most lovely of lowcountry recipes:

  • Sesame seeds (or proper benne seeds available from AnsonMills.com)
  • Butter - I used salted butter but unsalted butter can be subbed
  • All purpose flour
  • Light brown sugar - can sub dark brown sugar if preferred
  • Egg
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Vanilla extract

Benne seeds are actually different from sesame seeds, but we'll be using sesame seeds in this recipe. If you'd like to use authentic benne seeds, you can purchase them from AnsonMills.com.

The star ingredient is definitely the sesame seeds, which impart a wonderfully nutty flavor to these wafers.

Now I'll show you how easy it is to make these benne wafers!

🔪 Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350F. Begin by toasting the sesame seeds in a skillet on a medium low to medium heat on your stove. Stir constantly for about 3 minutes or until the seeds have turned a light to medium brown. Toasting these seeds helps to bring out an intensely nutty flavor.

They may start to pop! If they do, simply remove from the heat for a bit.

Once toasted, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Toasted sesame seeds in a pan with a blue spatula holding some of the sesame seeds.

Now melt the butter and then allow it to cool. Then add all of the following ingredients in a large bowl: melted butter, cooled toasted sesame seeds, vanilla extract, brown sugar, flour, egg, salt and baking powder.

Toasted sesame seeds, an egg, melted butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.

You won't need an electric mixer for this recipe. Simply mix well by hand until all of the ingredients are combined to make a dough. Then drop ½ teaspoonfuls of dough onto a silicone baking mat (which has been placed on a cookie sheet) roughly an inch apart.

You can use parchment paper instead of the silicone baking mat.

Dollops of uncooked benne wafer dough on a silicone baking mat.

Bake for around 8-10 minutes until the edge of the wafers have browned and you have crispy edges. Keep an eye on them so that they don't burn. Rotate the try and mat halfway through the baking time.

Be sure to enjoy the delicious nutty aroma while baking your benne wafer cookies!

Benne wafers baking on a silicone baking mat on top of a baking tray in the oven.

Remove from the oven and then allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Then transfer the wafers to a cooling wire rack to allow them to cool completely.

Benne wafers on a cooling rack.

Bake in batches until all the dough is used up. I usually make between 3 and 4 batches with this recipe. This makes around 60-70 cookies!

Enjoy Your Delicious Benne Wafers!

Benne wafers on a gold rimmed plate.

As mentioned earlier, these benne wafer cookies are a great gift. They are also perfect to accompany some coffee or a warm cup of tea.

Their delicious nutty, buttery, and salty, sweet flavors and crispy texture are completely crave worthy.

I hope you will enjoy these traditional southern Benne Wafers soon!

Benne Wafers I Bought In Charleston

Two different types of Benne Wafers on the left there are 6 round and think benne wafers and on the right there are 2 rectangular thicker benne wafers.

I first published this recipe in March of 2023, and one year later in March 2024 I got to visit South Carolina and bought authentic Benne Wafers in Charleston!

Pictured above are 2 different types of Benne Wafers. The ones on the left are round and thin, and the ones on the right are rectangular and a bit thicker.

I'm happy to report that my Benne Wafer recipe produces results that taste like the benne wafers I bought in Charleston! They may not look like the ones from Charleston, but the taste is spot on so I count that as SUCCESS!

FAQ

How can I store Benne Wafers?

Store Benne Wafers in an airtight container on your counter for around a week. They can also be frozen!

Are benne seeds the same as sesame seeds?

These seeds are actually different, however recipes that call for benne seeds very often sub sesame seeds. From BonAppetit.com benne are: "essentially the heirloom ancestor of sesame seeds-sesame and benne are the same species, but sesames have been bred to maximize oil output, which unfortunately has cut down on flavor." You can purchase proper benne seeds from Anson Mills.

Where are benne seeds from?

Benne seeds were brought to South Carolina by slaves from the Niger-Congo regions in sub-Saharan Africa.

1,000 Foods to Eat Project

In conclusion, Benne Wafers are listed in the book 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, by Mimi Sheraton. I am working my way through the foods listed in this book. This is called my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project. Benne Wafers is food #67 in my project!

Above all, please check out my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project page for some awesome food inspo!

Some Other Great Recipes You May Enjoy!

You may also enjoy the following recipes:

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

If you'd like to come along on this food journey with me, please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.

Cheers!

Grace

Benne wafers on a gold rimmed plate.

DELISH South Carolina Benne Wafers Recipe

Grace Stewart (adapted from Benne Wafers Recipe on AllRecipes.com)
Benne Wafers are a wonderfully nutty, sweet, and salty snack from South Carolina! Beware these can disappear very quickly as it's impossible to eat just one!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American, south carolinian, southern
Servings 12 people (around 5 wafers per serving)
Calories 100 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 baking tray
  • 1 silicone baking mat can use parchment paper but the silicone baking mat is preferred

Ingredients
  

  • 5 tablespoon butter I used salted butter but you can sub unsalted if you prefer
  • ½ cup sesame seeds
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅛ ts baking powder
  • ¼ ts salt
  • ¼ ts vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350F. Begin by toasting the sesame seeds in a skillet on a medium low to medium heat on your stove. Stir constantly for about 3 minutes or until the seeds have turned a light to medium brown. They may start to pop!
    Toasted sesame seeds in a pan with a blue spatula holding some of the sesame seeds.
  • Melt the butter and then allow it to cool. Then add all of the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl: melted butter, toasted sesame seeds, vanilla extract, brown sugar, flour, egg, salt and baking powder.
    Toasted sesame seeds, an egg, melted butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.
  • Mix well until all of the ingredients are combined to make a dough. Then drop ½ teaspoonfuls of dough onto a silicone baking mat or parchment paper (which has been placed on a cookie sheet) roughly an inch apart.
    Dollops of uncooked benne wafer dough on a silicone baking mat.
  • Bake for around 8-10 minutes until the wafers are have browned and you have crispy edges. Keep an eye on them so that they don't burn. Rotate the cookie sheet and mat halfway through the baking time.
    Benne wafers baking on a silicone baking mat on top of a baking tray in the oven.
  • Remove from the oven and then allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Then transfer the wafers to a cooling rack to allow them to cool completely.
    Benne wafers on a cooling rack.
  • Bake in batches until all the dough is used up. I usually make between 3 and 4 batches with this recipe. This makes around 60-70 cookies!
    Benne wafers on a silicone baking mat.

Notes

Use of a silicone baking mat is highly recommended.  The wafers slide right off the mat!
You can sub dark brown sugar for light brown sugar, and unsalted for salted butter if you like. 
These delicious benne wafers are perfect served with tea or coffee and are an irresistible snack! 

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 71mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 35IUCalcium: 83mgIron: 1mg
Keyword benne wafers, cookies, sesame seeds
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Unique and Scrumptious Icelandic Rye Bread Ice Cream Recipe!

by 8 Comments

Rye bread ice cream — yes, really! And it is absolutely INCREDIBLE! This unique and scrumptious Icelandic Rye Bread Ice Cream is completely addictive! Caramelized rye bread crumble made with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and caraway seeds is folded into creamy vanilla ice cream for the most surprisingly delicious frozen dessert you will ever taste!

Rye bread ice cream in a glass
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You Have GOT To Try This Ice Cream!

Yes, you read that right. Rye bread ice cream. I was a skeptic, but skeptical no longer! This ice cream is TOTALLY delicious and super simple to make! It tastes a bit like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and is such a unique dessert!

Let me tell you some backstory about this amazing ice cream!

What Is Icelandic Rye Bread?

Icelandic Rye Bread, is also called Rúgbrauð. This bread is one of the foods traditionally eaten in Iceland. It is dark, quite dense, and sweet. It's absolutely delicious warmed and slathered with butter!

Iceland is a an amazing place! This North Atlantic island is home to several geysers. When baked in the ground near a geyser, the bread is called Hverabrauð, or hot spring bread.

I obviously don't have access to a geyser, so we baked our rye bread in our oven. It turned out absolutely fantastic using this recipe from MountainCravings.com called RÚGBRAUÐ ICELANDIC RYE BREAD.

Most of this bread my family enjoyed served with copious amounts of butter. Some of the bread I reserved to make rye bread crumble for Icelandic Rye Bread Ice Cream!

By the way, I urge you to try making your own Icelandic Rye Bread. However, for purposes of this recipe you can use store bought rye bread...no worries!

What Ingredients Do I Need For This Ice Cream?

You will need the following ingredients for this delectable dessert:

  • Rye bread (you can make your own or use store bought rye bread)
  • Brown Sugar
  • Butter
  • Cinnamon
  • Salt
  • Caraway seeds
  • Vanilla ice cream
Butter, rye bread crumbs, cinnamon, salt, and caraway seeds in a plastic container
Combined ingredients to make the Rye Bread Crumble

Gather these ingredients and let's make some rye bread crumble!

Super Easy Instructions!

It couldn't be easier to make this dessert! Start by preheating your oven to 350F.

Combine the crumble ingredients (crumbled rye, melted butter, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and caraway seeds) in a bowl and mix well. Place this on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake this for around 10-15 minutes. Check it halfway through and toss it around a bit to ensure even heating/browning. When finished baking, you will have caramelized rye bread crumble!

rye bread crumble
Crumble prior to baking
rye bread crumble
Caramelized crumble after baking

While the crumble is baking, allow the vanilla ice cream to soften a bit. Once the crumble mixture has cooled, then stir it into the softened vanilla ice cream.

Rye bread ice cream in a plastic tub

Put this in the freezer for at least an hour prior to serving. This step is very hard because of the waiting! But it's totally worth it. 😃

Time To Scoop and Enjoy!

Rye bread ice cream in a glass

It's time to enjoy your incredible treat! This Icelandic Rye Bread ice cream is absolutely perfect on its own! However, you could also serve it as they do at Cafe Loki in Reykjavik...with cream and rhubarb syrup!

You can also reserve some of the crumble to sprinkle on top of your ice cream if you like!

You'll be absolutely delighted with this amazing and unique dessert!

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!

Here are some other recipes that you may enjoy:

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

If you'd like to come along on this food journey with me, please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here. 😊

Cheers! Skál!

Grace

Rye bread ice cream in a martini glass

Scrumptious Icelandic Rye Bread Ice Cream!

GRACE STEWART
You have GOT to try this unique and scrumptious dessert from Iceland! Rye Bread Ice Cream is out of this world DELISH!
4.67 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Freezing time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine icelandic
Servings 4 servings
Calories 218 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 oz rye bread crumble it up with your fingers until you have very small crumbs
  • 3 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1.5-2 cups vanilla ice cream

Instructions
 

  • Start by preheating your oven to 350F. Combine the crumble ingredients (crumbled rye, melted butter, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and caraway seeds) in a bowl and mix well. Place this on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
    rye bread crumble
  • Bake this for around 10-15 minutes. Check it halfway through and toss it around a bit to ensure even heating/browning. When finished baking, you will have caramelized rye bread crumble!
    rye bread crumble
  • While the crumble is baking, allow the vanilla ice cream to soften a bit. Once the crumble mixture has cooled, then stir it into the softened vanilla ice cream.
    Rye bread ice cream in a plastic tub
  • Put this in the freezer for at least an hour prior to serving. Then it's ready to scoop and enjoy!
    Rye bread ice cream in a glass with some rye bread in the background

Notes

This Icelandic Rye Bread ice cream is absolutely perfect on its own! However, you could also serve it as they do at Cafe Loki in Reykjavik...with cream and rhubarb syrup!
You can also reserve some of the crumble to sprinkle on top of your ice cream if you like!
Enjoy this taste of Iceland! 

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 512mgPotassium: 177mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 226IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 1mg
Keyword ice cream, rye bread, rye bread ice cream
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Wide Awake No Bake Brownies Recipe!

by Leave a Comment

Craving brownies but don't want to turn on the oven? These Wide Awake No Bake Brownies are rich, fudgy, and chocolatey — made with dates, walnuts, and cocoa instead of flour and sugar. No baking skills, no oven, and no guilt required. Just blend, press into a pan, and chill for an hour!

brownies in a glass container

No Bake Brownies For The Baking Challenged!

I'm one of those who is "baking challenged." I like to blame my oven for this but it could be just me. 😅

So, when I discovered that I could make brownies without baking them, I was all in!

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How To Make Scrumptious Banoffee Pie!

by 2 Comments

No oven? No problem! This classic English Banoffee Pie is the easiest dessert you’ll ever make. With a buttery graham cracker crust, thick dulce de leche, fresh bananas, and massive piles of whipped cream, it’s pure heaven in a slice!

A banoffee pie on a black plate. The pie is topped with banana slices and sprinkled cocoa powder.

First allow me to start off by stating that this was my first dessert post! I am not really someone who eats many desserts. However, I decided to make this Banoffee Pie for a movie night and had SO MUCH FUN making it that I couldn't wait to post about it!

Not only was it fun to make, but it's OVER THE TOP delicious! I'm super excited to share this easy banoffee pie recipe with you!

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