
This post was going to be a quick, breezy one – about biscuits.
Before pushing send I raced off for lunch with lovely girlfriends (quick Hi to TheHusband; I have accomplished more in this week than lunches and shopping – well a little more….).
Chat, chat, chat – munch, munch, munch – all going well, then…
I mentioned an incident that happened at school this week.
TheYoungest was running the Cross Country. Half way through the race, in a narrow point of the course, another boy decided to hold up my son and his friend – “not gonna let you pass” – he said.
He is a “competitive” child – I was told by my lunch companions – his parents tell him to always BE the best.
TheHusband and I don’t do competitive. Couldn’t give a toss about what others are up to, where they live, how they bring up their kids.
As parents we have always run with “do YOUR best” – “you only race yourself” – “the biggest prize comes from the actual participation, not the medal”. Blah, blah, blah.
Apparently I do my children a disservice by adopting this attitude.
Possibly I am being naive when I encourage my boys to run their own race. To value manners and good grace above all else…
I can’t bring myself to tell them they need to win at all costs.
I also believe in karma – what you give out….
This is why I didn’t stomp down to school to complain on TheYoungest’s behalf about the little sh** who interfered in his race. My baby made the Cross Country Team through effort and being a good sport. Hopefully those traits will stand him in good stead as he moves through life.
I still think nice counts. And that’s why I bake.
I hope I don’t end up eating my words…
Now to the Afghan chocolate biscuit recipe. These little morsels are DIVINE – loved by everybody. One from the archives, my trusty kiwi Edmonds Cook Book. Sort of the New Zealand CWA version…

Image. TheUrbanMum
Does anyone know the true origin of the name “Afghan Biscuits” – my search brought up a number of theories but no firm reference? Not important as they taste fabulous either way; just wondered, that’s all.
AFGHAN Chocolate Biscuit Recipe
Ingredients
200g butter
½ cup sugar
1 ¼ cups plain flour
¼ cup cocoa
2 cups cornflakes
Method
Cream butter and sugar.
Add flour and cocoa – stir to combine. Fold in cornflakes.
Spoon mounds of mixture onto a lined oven tray.
Gently press each chocolate biscuit down to flatten it a little.
Bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes or so (they are cooked when they are set).
Remove from oven and cool. Ice when cold with chocolate icing.
Slack Tart Shortcut. Rather than making regular Chocolate Icing – pop a piece of chocolate or a chocolate melt button on top of the biscuit as soon as it comes out of the oven. It melts – presto you have icing.