Romany Creams

Romany Creams are my very favorite cookie in the entire universe (not an exaggeration). They were a special treat when I was a child and one of those significant food-losses when I moved to the States. They were especially prominent during our afternoon tea times with a cup of rooibos tea being their perfect companion. For years, whenever family or friends visiting South Africa asked me what they could bring me, this would be one of the first items on my list, but once I had my own kiddos and implemented afternoon tea time in our home, the occasional box of Romany Creams just wasn’t enough anymore. Of course, the solution to this problem of mine was to get in the kitchen! After reading many recipes and an in-depth examination of the ingredients list on the back of the box, I started working on my own recipe that would bring these delicious chocolate biscuits back into my life as often as I was willing to bake them.

The first few batches were, well…meh. They were too light in chocolate flavor and the texture was much too grainy. I tried again and went through a couple more batches that were much too dark. Although I didn’t mind as much, as I live by the mantra of “the darker the better” where chocolate is concerned, I did want to get it just right so I would be able to share this delicious treat with my family and friends just as I remember it. So I kept going, and (Eureka!) I finally came to the Goldilocks version of this recipe where the flavor and texture was just right.

The secret turned out to be two-fold:

• Flavor – I use a 2:1 mix of natural and dutched cocoa powder to produce that dark-but-not-too-dark chocolate flavor.
• Texture – I do a couple quick pulses in the food processor with the desiccated coconut to break the small pieces up just a little more. This way I get that true biscuit-texture (read British biscuit here, not US Southern biscuit).

Ingredients

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The note-worthy ingredients in this recipe will be the following:

• Cocoa Powder – as I mentioned, you’ll need two kinds of cocoa powder, natural and dutched. You can read more about the difference between the two in my Stovetop Hot Chocolate post.
• Desiccated Coconut – sometimes also called shredded coconut. It can be hard to find, so I normally buy mine online, but if you want to check your local grocery store, try the health food section (particularly Bob’s Red Mill brand)
• Milk Chocolate – this is used for sandwiching the cookies together and will not be mixed with anything else. Therefore, it’s important that you choose a good quality chocolate that melts smoothly and is made for baking, like Ghirardelli’s milk chocolate chips. (Note: admittedly, I sometimes switch milk chocolate chips out for bittersweet ones when my dark chocolate craving is at a high)

Besides these, you’ll also need all-purpose flour, baking powder, butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, vegetable oil, an egg, and vanilla extract.

Method

I make my cookies using a stand mixer, but a hand mixer will do the job just fine. Just make sure you have a large mixing bowl as it can get messy working with cocoa powder.

First, cream the butter and granulated sugar together and then add the wet ingredients (egg, oil and vanilla extract), beating until smooth and well-incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, and powdered sugar and then add to the sugar-butter mixture, beating until just mixed. Add the coconut and mix until well incorporated and a soft dough forms.

Next, work the dough into a ball and transfer to a floured surface. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough ball and roll out to about a quarter inch thickness. The purpose of the plastic wrap is to avoid having to flour your rolling pin as this is a very dark dough and you don’t want white flour spots all over your cookies. It’s fine to get flour on the bottom of your cookies as they will be sandwiched together and the bottoms won’t be visible once assembled. Using a fork, gently scrape the top of the dough multiple times in multiple directions to create the signature rough texture on the outside of the cookies.

Cut shapes with an oval cookie cutter (mine is about an inch and a half lengthwise) and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes and remove from the oven, letting it cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cool, heat the milk chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, removing to stir in between until the chocolate is completely melted. Let it cool for about 3 minutes, then spoon a small amount over the bottom of one biscuit and immediately sandwich with another biscuit on top, letting the chocolate just barely ooze out the side. Place back onto cooling rack and let the chocolate set.

Once set, your cookies are ready to enjoy! I love having one with a cup of rooibos tea or a glass of milk. It’s a decadent treat that puts me right back into tea-time with my mother when I was a little girl in South Africa. These cookies also make a wonderful addition to my Christmas baking and gifting, as most of my American friends and family are unfamiliar with this chocolatey treat.