Afghan Cookies - Sugar and Gluten Free and V friendly...
As we were driving home last Friday I was saying to hubby I'd love an Afghan cookie. Funnily enough he'd been eyeing them up when doing the shopping. "Do you want me to stop in at the local Four Square and pick some up" he asked. By then I'd decided we were going to make some that night using only good ingredients without sugar and butter. I referred to my pink recipe book Mum made me over 30-years ago containing her beautiful hand writing and many of her trusted recipes we'd grown to love as children. This recipe wasn't in there, so I decided I'll just make my own recipe up, as I do. Trust me they taste great and look the real deal!
The recipe is easy but feel free to tinker with the ingredients. Afghan cookies are typically dry, not too sweet, have a bit of a crunch, and are finished with a rich butter icing. These biscuits were bang on with texture and taste for us personally. If you're comparing with your own taste buds you may want them sweeter so go ahead and add a sweetener of choice. The key is not too make these cookies wet or too dry and crumbly.
Making recipes isn't a new hobby for me. As a Cookbook Author I'm always on the lookout for cooking up something new and sharing. Enjoy!
Aleisha's Chocolate Afghan Recipe
Makes 12 cookies.
Cookies
1 cup walnuts
1 cup coconut desiccated
1 cup flour (almond, coconut, wholemeal, pick one. I used wholemeal to start with but next time I'm using almond)
2 T cocoa baking (no sugar)
3 T cocoa butter (can use coconut oil, recommend solid not liquid)
1/4 c water
1/3 c rice flakes
Process walnuts, coconut, flour and cocoa into food processor until a flour formed.
Add butter, process until combined.
Add 1/2 water, process. If the ingredients doesn't form together add remaining water and process until mixture forms together in processor. Usually 1 minute in processor or less works.
Add rice flakes and stir in with spoon into ingredients so that you don's lose the texture.
Roll into 12 balls and press onto baking tray unlined.
Bake 180 degrees celsius 15 minutes until cooked.
Sit aside to cool on a cooling tray then ice.
Icing
3 T chocolate chips or chocolate
3 T coconut cream (I used Kara as thick and creamy)
Melt ingredients on very low, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and ice cookies. This icing was perfect, see image below showing a shiny finish. It set quickly and doesn't need refrigeration. Tastes good too :)
Next up on my list is to create recipes for a banana chocolate chip cookie, and a ginger & cardamon cookie.