Homemade Brandy Snaps bring all the nostalgic vibes to the yard! They only take 8 minutes to bake and can be kept plain or decorated. The best news is, they are much cheaper and tastier to make yourself so let's make them together.
Who else has the childhood memory of eating pihikete parani (brandy snaps) filled with kirīmi (cream)? I definitely do as we would eat them every Kirihimete (Christmas)! These have a crunchy exterior and soft pillowy cream in the middle. There is so much to love, so let's bake.
More pihikete (biscuit) recipes:
Try these Lemon, Raspberry & White Chocolate Biscuits. Or are you looking for pihiekte tiakarete (chocolate biscuits)? These Buckeye Cookies, Chocolate and Caramel Thumbprint Cookies and Chocolate and Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies are all delicious!
Photography and videography by Sarah Henderson.
INGREDIENT TIPS FOR THESE HOMEMADE BRANDY SNAPS:
- Golden syrup: Mīere kōura (golden syrup) creates the deep golden colour and flavour in the brandy snaps.
- Butter: I always use salted butter in my baking but feel free to use unsalted too.
- Vinegar: Any vinegar apart from balsamic will work here.
- Mixed spice: Mixed Spice gives a wonderful layer of flavour to the snaps but you can do a half a teaspoon of mixed spiced, cinnamon and ginger if you want.
- Flour: Plain or high grade flour will work in this recipe.
Expert Advice:
This recipe makes 13 Brandy Snaps but if you want to make more, go the 'servings' section on the recipe and adjust the dial to how many you would like to make.
Use a handle of at least 2 -3 cm wide to roll up the Brandy Snaps so that the holes are big enough to fit the cream in.
If some of the biscuits go hard as you are rolling them, do not panic. Just return any of the hard ones to the tray and cook them again for 45 seconds to a minute to soften them again.
If you have rolled them and they are not setting, they need more baking. Just place them back on the tray and bake for up to 6 minutes or until deeply golden.
The freshly rolled pihikete (biscuits) can be put in a sealed container and kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Anything beyond that and you will loose the snap in the Brandy Snap!
Once the pihikete parani (brandy snaps) have been filled with the kirīmi (cream), store them in the fridge for up to 8 hours in a sealed container. Don't store them any longer than that or you will have soggy brandy snaps and that is not a vibe!
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE HOMEMADE BRANDY SNAPS:
Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.
1. Preheat the Oven:
Preheat the oven to 190 °C bake setting or 180 °C, fan bake.
Grease two large, flat trays with a little butter and stick baking paper on to each one.
2. Make the Biscuit Batter:
Add the huka one (caster sugar), mīere kōura (golden syrup), pata (butter) and tote (salt) in to a pot or frying pan.
Over medium heat (the maximum heat on my stove is 9, I set mine at 6), melt the ingredients together as you stir constantly.
Once it is melted, set a timer and gently simmer for 2 minutes only. You don't want a hard boil here.
Remove from the heat and pour it in to a medium bowl.
2. Make the Biscuit Base:
Add the winika (vinegar), wanira (vanilla) and rau kikini whakauruuru (mixed spice) in to the hot mixture.
Whakaranuhia (stir to combine).
Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Add the puehu parāoa (flour) and stir it all together.
It is now to ready to use.
3. Add the Brandy Snaps to the Trays:
If this is your first time baking Brandy Snaps then I highly recommend baking two pihikete (biscuits) to start with. This way you can check the bake time for your oven and roll a couple to get the feel of the process.
Using a measuring spoon, take a level tablespoon of mixture and dollop on to the prepared tray.
Repeat this process, making four - six pihikete (biscuits) on each tray, with plenty of room between them.
They spread a lot in the oven, so less is better.
Spread each of the blobs of mixture in to a 10 cm circle.
4. Bake the Brandy Snaps:
Add a tray at a time to the pre-heated oven and bake for 8 minutes.
If they are not super golden at this point, bake them for up 2 minutes extra. If they are not baked long enough they will not hold their shape.
Remove from the oven and separate any that are stuck together with a knife while they are hot.
Leave for 1 - 2 minutes to cool but not longer as they will start to harden.
If your baking tray has sides like mine does, transfer the baking paper with the cooked mixture on to a large chopping board or the bench for ease of rolling.
5. Roll the Brandy Snaps:
Using a wooden spoon handle or anything that has a round handle of at least 2 cm thick, rolll each pihikete (biscuit) up in to a cylinder. You want a nice big hole in the centre for the cream so roll it loosely. I use around three or four different handles at a time. Once they hold their shape, remove and move on to the next pieces.
Some may need a minute or so around the handle to set. Repeat with all of the cooked pihikete (biscuits).
Check the recipe below for trouble shooting tricks and tips.
6. Storing the Unfilled Brandy Snaps:
If you don't want to dip them in the tiakarete (chocolate) and pihitāhio (pistachios), they are ready to go.
If you are not using them straight away, put them in a sealed container and keep them in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
7. Decorate (Optional):
Melt the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) gently in the microwave or in a pot over low heat on the stove.
Dip each pihikete parani (brandy snap) in to the melted chocolate on both ends.
Shake off the excess and sprinkle over the crushed pihitāhio (pistachios).
Allow to set in the fridge for ten minutes.
8. Whip the Cream:
Add the kirīmi (cream) and puehu huka (icing sugar) in to a medium sized bowl.
Whakapāhukahukatia (whip it) until medium peaks form.
9. Fill the Homemade Brandy Snaps:
Using a piping bag, fill the pihikete parani (brandy snaps) with the kirīmi tāwhiuwhiu (whipped cream).
Grate over a touch of kiri ārani (orange zest) before serving for a pop of freshness.
Storing the filled Brandy Snaps:
Once the pihikete parani (brandy snaps) have been filled with the kirīmi (cream), store them in the fridge for up to 8 hours on a tray. Any longer than that and they will start to loose their crunch.
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DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE?
It would be so awesome if you could please leave a review/comment by clicking the “leave a comment” section at the top of the page.
I love seeing you all make my creations, so send a whakaahua (photo) or kiriata (video) to my Instagram and show me what you made. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions) too, I would love to help.
Brandy Snaps - Pihikete Parani
Ingredients
The Biscuits - Ngā Pihikete
- ⅓ (75) C huka one (caster sugar)
- ⅓ (110 g) C mīere kōura (golden syrup)
- 60 g pata (butter)
- ½ teaspoon tote (salt, fine)
- 1 teaspoon winika (vinegar, any vinegar apart from balsamic will work here).
- 2 teaspoon wanira (vanilla)
- 1 ½ teaspoon rau kikini whakauruuru (mixed spice)
- ⅓ C (50 g) puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei (all optional additions)
- 80 g tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate, 50%)
- ½ C (50 g) pihitāhio (pistachios, crushed to a crumb)
- Kiri ārani (orange zest, of one orange)
The Cream - Te Kirīmi
- 300 ml kirīmi (cream)
- ¼ C puehu huka (icing sugar)
Instructions
Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C bake setting or 170 °C, fan bake.
- Grease two large, flat trays with a little butter and stick baking paper on to each one.
Make the Biscuit Batter:
- Add the huka one (caster sugar), mīere kōura (golden syrup), pata (butter) and tote (salt) in to a pot or frying pan.
- Over medium heat (the maximum heat on my stove is 9, I set mine at 6), melt the ingredients together, stirring constantly.
- Once it is melted, set a timer and gently simmer for 2 minutes only. You do not want a hard boil here. Remove from the heat after two minutes and pour it in to a medium bowl.
- Add the winika (vinegar), wanira (vanilla) and rau kikini whakauruuru (mixed spice) in to the hot mixture. Whakaranuhia (stir to combine).
- Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the puehu parāoa (flour) and stir it all together. It is now to ready to use.
Add to the Trays:
- Note: If this is your first time baking Brandy Snaps then I highly recommend baking two pihikete (biscuits) to start with. This way you can check the bake time for your oven and roll a couple to get the feel of the process.
- Using a measuring spoon, take a level tablespoon of mixture and dollop on to the prepared tray.
- Repeat this process, making four - six pihikete (biscuits) on each tray, with plenty of room between them. They spread a lot in the oven, so less is better.
- Spread each of the blobs of mixture in to a 10 cm circle.
Bake the Brandy Snaps:
- Add a tray at a time to the preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes.
- If they are not super golden with big bubbles at this point, bake them for up 2 minutes extra. If they are not baked long enough they will not hold their shape.
- Remove from the oven and separate any that are stuck together with a knife while they are hot.
- If your baking tray has sides like mine does, transfer the baking paper with the cooked mixture on to a large chopping board or the bench for ease of rolling.
Roll the Brandy Snaps:
- Using a wooden spoon handle or anything that has a round handle of at least 2 cm thick, rolll each pihikete (biscuit) up in to a cylinder. You want a nice big hole in the centre for the cream so roll it loosely.
- I use around three or four different handles at a time. Once they hold their shape, remove and move on to the next pieces.
- Some may need a minute or so around the handle to set. Repeat with all of the cooked pihikete (biscuits).
- Note: If some of the biscuits cool down too fast hard and go hard as you are rolling them, no worries, just return any that have gone hard to the tray and cook again in the oven for 45 seconds to a minute to soften them again. Pull them back out and roll them in to the cylinders.
- If you have rolled them and they are not setting, they need more baking. Just flatten them out again, place them back on the tray and bake for up to 6 minutes or until deeply golden. Then try the rolling process again.
Storing the Unfilled Brandy Snaps:
- If you don't want to dip them in the tiakarete (chocolate) and pihitāhio (pistachios), they are ready to go.
- If you are not using them straight away, put them in a sealed container and keep them in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Decorate (Optional):
- Melt the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) gently in the microwave or in a pot over low heat on the stove.
- Dip each pihikete parani (brandy snap) in to the melted chocolate on both ends. Shake off the excess and sprinkle over the crushed pihitāhio (pistachios).
- Allow to set in the fridge for ten minutes.
Whip the Cream:
- Add the kirīmi (cream) and puehu huka (icing sugar) in to a medium sized bowl.
- Whakapāhukahukatia (whip it).
Fill the Brandy Snaps:
- Using a piping bag, fill the pihikete parani (brandy snaps) with the kirīmi tāwhiuwhiu (whipped cream).
- Grate over a touch of kiri ārani (orange zest) before serving for a pop of freshness.
Storing the filled Brandy Snaps:
- Once the pihikete parani (brandy snaps) have been filled with the kirīmi (cream), store them in the fridge for up to 8 hours on a tray. Any longer than that and they will start to loose their crunch.
Amy
Fab recipe! So delicious! My oven is on the hot side so I probably baked them for a little less as they turn super quick.
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Good to know about your oven Amy but so glad that you enjoyed the recipe!