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 Caramel Cookies and Chocolate Raspberry 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 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.
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 C (75) huka one (caster sugar)
- ⅓ C (110 g) 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. Note: If your oven runs hot, reduce the temperature by 10 °C.
- 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!
Emma
Tēnā koe! These are delicious. Made them last night, first time, so smaller batches of two or three. My oven was running hot so I burnt a few, but they all still turned out great (even the ones hubby accidentally broke when he dropped the container). Thank you! Love your content and delicious recipes. Kei te pai!
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
All I heard was that your hubby dropped some on the floor? What the heck? Ha ha - just kidding.
I love this feedback so much.
Thanks so much for the amazing support.
Naomi
B Masters
Whanau kai’s Naomi Toilalo’s cookbook is a staple in my kihini! I recently made her Brandy snap recipe for my work Christmas function, I didn’t get a chance to take a pic, they were snapped up so fast! The Brandy Snap recipe on her Insta page was delish and a well written recipe, that has lots of tips and tricks, which means they turn out perfect!! Will be making for our whanau/aiga this kirihimete, along with a few other favourites! LIKE the keke Kōpungapunga Pōkai Rōpere! Or the Keke Kōpungapunga Pōkai Tiakarete! He Reka! Xxx Love your mahi e hoa, arohanui ki a koe x
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
My girl - ka nui te mihi ki a koe e hine.
So thankful for your tautoko sis and all the recipes that you have made of mine over the years.
You always make me smile and I am glad that you loved these as much as I do!
Naomi
Stephanie Verhoeff
I made these snaps over the weekend and they were an absolute hit. The recipe was incredibly easy to follow and I loved that it used simple, staple ingredients I already had on hand. The chocolate-dipped ends finished with pistachios added a beautiful balance of flavour. The brandy snaps themselves were absolutely divine and moreish!
They were so popular that I’ve already been asked to make another batch for Christmas Day. I can safely say this will be our new Christmas dessert tradition — move over pavlova!
Highly recommend giving this recipe a go.
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Stephanie, this made me smile from ear to ear, thank you so much for this incredible feedback.It truly made my day.
I love that this is now going to become a whānau tradition, it is in mine too.
Ngā mihi nui, Naomi
Waru
Childhood dream was to make brandysnaps and I did. They arent perfect but practice makes perfect. And I can say I made them not store brought.
Follow the recipe and you will be right.
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Woo hoo - that is the most beautiful childhood dream and I am so glad that you did it.
Thanks so much for the awesome feedback.
Ngā mihi, Naomi
Ella
Absolutely loved this recipe! Brandy snaps have always been my all time favourite Xmas treat so was so excited to be able to make them and they turned out perfectly! Definitely tautoko only making 1 or two first to figure out your flow cause mine hardened pretty quickly and didn't manage to get the second one into the desired shape. Definitely recommend taking your time and being super conscious of the time haha! Amazing all round!
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Tēnā koe Ella! You are so awesome e hoa and when I saw your creations, I was just blown away! You nailed them.
Ngā mihi nui, Naomi
Natalie
My first time making brandy snaps and they were delicious! The recipe was simple and all the tips and tricks helped. I thought trying a batch of two was particularly important. Great recipe!
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Thank you Natalie - that is such cool feedback' I love this recipe too!
Naomi