Afghans

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15-18 minutes

Serves: Makes 24

INGREDIENTS

200 grams butter
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1-2 tsp vanilla essence
1¾ cups flour
¼ cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
½ cup dessicated coconut
2 cups corn flakes
Chocolate icing
1½ cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon butter, melted
2-3 tablespoons warm milk or water

An ever-popular Kiwi favourite and easy to make tin-filler - but don't expect them to last long when there are kids around!

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease 1-2 baking trays or line with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.

3. Beat in the egg and vanilla essence.

4. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and using a metal spoon stir into the creamed mixture with the coconut and corn flakes. Do not overmix the cornflakes as they will become too finely crushed.

5. Spoon large tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared trays. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes.

Cool on a cake rack before icing with chocolate icing. Store in an airtight container.

1. Chocolate icing

2. In a bowl, sift icing sugar and cocoa. Blend in melted butter and warm milk or water until you have a thick icing of spreadable consistency.

COOKS TIPS

- Cornflakes are the best breakfast cereal to use in Afghans as they are very crispy. If you do not have any on hand substitute crushed Weetbix.
- The finest flavoured cocoa powders are tose with the higher percentage of cocoa solids. To check this, read the ingredient label where the percentage will be stated.
- Do not substitute cocoa powder with drinking chocolate, the two are not interchangeable.
- The flavour of cocoa in baked goods is almost always enhanced with the addition of vanilla essence.

© Allyson Gofton 2009

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