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Brandy Snaps - Pihikete Parani

Crunchy, homemade brandy snaps with a touch of spice and vanilla! Use this recipe to create the traditional rolled version or brandy snap baskets.
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Cook Time 8 minutes
Servings 13 large brandy snaps

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 tsp tote (salt, fine)
  • 1 tsp winika (vinegar, any vinegar apart from balsamic will work here)
  • 2 tsp wanira (vanilla)
  • 1 ½ tsp 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

The Biscuits - Ngā Pihikete

  • Pre-heat the oven to 170 °C, fan bake.
    Grease two large, flat trays with a little butter and stick baking paper on to each one.
  • Add the huka one (caster sugar), mīere kōura (golden syrup), pata (butter) and tote (salt) to a pot or frying pan.
  • Over medium heat (the maximum heat on my stove is 9, I set mine at 7), melt the ingredients together, stirring constantly.
    Once it is melted, set a timer and gently boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Add to the pre-heated oven and bake for 8 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and 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.
  • 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. Once it holds its shape, remove and move on to the next piece.
    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 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.

Brandy Snap Basket Option

  • If you want to turn them in to brandy snap baskets instead, use ¾ of a tablespoon of mixture and spread them out to 8 cm circles, making 15 baskets on two or three trays.
    Once they have baked, leave them for a minute to cool and drape each piece over the top of upside down muffin tins. Let them cool. Flip them over and fill them whatever delicious fillings you want!
    The rims could also be dipped in tiakarete (chocolate) and pihitāhio (pistachios) if you wanted to.

Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei (optional additions)

  • Melt the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate). Dip each pihikete parani (brandy snaps) 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.

The Cream - Te Kirīmi

  • Add the kirīmi (cream) and puehu huka (icing sugar). Whakapāhukahukatia (whip it).
    Using a piping bag, fill the pihikete parani (brandy snaps) with the kirīmi tāwhiuwhiu (whipped cream).
  • 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.
    Grate over a touch of kiri ārani (orange zest) before serving for a pop of fresh.