Growing up in New Zealand, many of us have warm memories tied to home baking. The smell of biscuits fresh from the oven was a constant in homes, whether baked by parents, grandparents or neighbours. These simple treats carry family stories and nostalgia for many Kiwis.
A large number of these classic biscuit recipes come from a cookbook that has been on many family kitchen shelves over the years: the Edmonds Cook Book. With numerous editions and updates, Edmonds became the trusted reference for home cooks across New Zealand. I invited readers on Facebook to open their Edmonds Cook Book and share their top five biscuit recipes. The responses reminded me how much Kiwis love food, and how those recipes reconnect people with their childhood.
After tallying votes, three clear favourites emerged: Peanut Brownies, Afghans and Anzac biscuits. Not far behind were Shortbread, Chocolate Chip (Sante) Biscuits and Yoyos. These six recipes reflect the flavours and techniques that define classic Kiwi home baking. They are simple, use familiar ingredients and consistently produce delicious results.
Below are the six most-loved Edmonds biscuit recipes collected from that conversation. Each recipe is straightforward to follow and captures the nostalgia of traditional New Zealand baking. I hope these bring back memories or create new ones. Did your favourites make the list? Let me know in the comments.
1. Peanut Brownies
- 125g Butter – softened
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 ½ cups Plain flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp Cocoa
- 1 cup Roasted unsalted peanuts (roughly chopped if desired)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa together and add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the peanuts.
- Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls, place on the prepared trays and press down with a floured fork.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until firm and slightly coloured on the base. Leave on the trays for 1–2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
2. Afghans
Crisp, light biscuits with the added crunch of cornflakes and an optional walnut on top.
- 200g Butter – softened
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 ¼ cups Plain flour
- ¼ cup Cocoa
- 2 cups Cornflakes
- Chocolate icing (for topping)
- 24 Walnuts (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease or line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and cocoa, then stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in the cornflakes gently.
- Spoon mounds of the mixture onto the tray, pressing them lightly together.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until set. When cold, ice with chocolate icing and top with a walnut if you like.
3. Anzac Biscuits
A soft, chewy style of the classic Anzac biscuit.
- ½ cup Plain flour
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- ⅔ cup Desiccated coconut
- ¾ cup Rolled oats
- 50g Butter
- 1 tbsp Golden syrup
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- 2 tbsp Boiling water
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Mix flour, sugar, coconut and rolled oats in a bowl.
- Melt the butter with the golden syrup. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and add it to the butter and syrup mixture. Stir into the dry ingredients.
- Place level tablespoonfuls of mixture onto the cold greased tray and flatten slightly with a fork. These biscuits don’t spread much, so you can place them close together.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Leave on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
4. Shortbread
A smooth-textured, buttery shortbread that keeps well and makes a lovely gift.
- 250g Butter – softened
- 1 cup Icing sugar
- 1 cup Cornflour
- 2 cups Plain flour
- Preheat the oven to 130°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Cream the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Sift the cornflour and plain flour and add to the creamed mixture.
- Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and knead until it forms a smooth dough.
- Shaping – two options:
- Divide the dough in half and roll each half on baking paper into a circle about 1cm thick. Mark into wedges and prick the surface with a fork. Chill for 20 minutes, then bake on the paper for about 1 hour until a very pale gold. Cut into wedges to serve.
- Form the dough into a log, wrap in greaseproof paper and chill for 10 minutes. Slice into 5mm-thick biscuits, place on the tray, prick with a fork and bake for about 30 minutes until pale golden.
5. Chocolate Chip (Sante) Biscuits
Also known as Kiwi Crisps; originally people chopped a Sante bar into dough before chocolate chips became common.
- 125g Butter – softened
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 3 tbsp Sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ cups Plain flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ cup Chocolate chips
- Few drops of vanilla essence
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Cream together butter, sugar, condensed milk and vanilla until light and fluffy. Sift flour and baking powder, then mix into the creamed mixture and fold in the chocolate chips.
- Roll tablespoonfuls into balls, place on the tray and flatten with a floured fork.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until golden. Leave on the tray for 1–2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
6. Yoyos
A variation on the melting moment, sandwiched with a sweet custard-flavoured filling.
- 175g Butter – softened
- ¼ cup Icing sugar
- ¼ tsp Vanilla essence
- 1 ½ cups Plain flour
- ¼ cup Custard powder
- 50g Butter – softened
- 1 tbsp Hot water
- 2 tbsp Custard powder
- ½ cup Icing sugar
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Cream the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla.
- Sift the flour and custard powder together and combine with the creamed mixture to form a soft dough.
- Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls, place on the trays and press down with a fork.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden. Leave on the trays for 1–2 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
- For the filling, mix all ingredients together until light and fluffy.
- When the biscuits are cold, sandwich them in pairs with the butter filling.
Thanks to Edmonds for being a long-standing presence in Kiwi kitchens and for the many recipes that continue to inspire home bakers across New Zealand. For more classic recipes, look up the Edmonds Cook Book or the Edmonds website for their official collection of trusted recipes.