African Food and Art

Thank you to our latest donor, Tony. Thank you, Tony. We were able to purchase three new stainless steel pots to continue our cooking and teaching heritage.

Super Thin and Crunchy Coconut Biscuits

Gurundi, a beloved Nigerian coconut biscuit or cookie, is crispy, light, and buttery.

If you're looking for a delicious and easy-to-make cookie recipe, you can't go wrong with the classic Nigerian Gurundi Crispy Coconut Biscuits. These biscuits or cookies are made with finely ground dried coconut flakes, a combination of butter and shortening for a perfect balance of richness and texture, eggs to bind the ingredients together, sugar for sweetness, baking soda to give them a light and airy texture, and coconut flour to enhance the coconut flavor. 

Thin and Crunchy Coconut Biscuits

Imagine biting into a warm, freshly baked cookie with a crispy exterior that gives way to a delightfully chewy center. As you savor the flavor, your taste buds are met with coconut's rich and tropical taste, perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth. This delectable treat results from a carefully crafted recipe, using only the finest ingredients to ensure every bite is a heavenly experience.

Use desiccated coconut, not coconut flakes to ensure your recipe is perfect. Desiccated coconut is finely ground coconut, smaller and drier than shredded coconut. The fine texture looks like shaved ice rather than strips of coconut. 

Nigerian Gurundi Crispy Coconut Biscuit Cookie Ingredients and Directions

Ingredients

2 cups desiccated coconut

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup coconut flour


Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius. Line baking sheets with parchment paper for an optimal baking surface.

Blend 2 cups of desiccated coconut and 1/2 cup of coconut flour in a bowl. This forms the foundation of your cookie's distinctive coconut texture.

In a separate mixing bowl, cream together 1 cup of softened butter and 1/2 cup of shortening until the mixture becomes smooth. 

Add 2 eggs to the butter-shortening mixture and incorporate them thoroughly. Gradually add 1 cup of sugar, beating the mixture until it is light and fluffy. 

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of baking soda into the bowl, incorporating it evenly. 

Gradually add the dry ingredients, desiccated coconut, and coconut flour to the wet mixture, ensuring a uniform dough forms. 

Scoop portions of the dough and roll them into balls, placing them on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Watch carefully to ensure the cookies reach the perfect level of crispiness.

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This ensures they set crisply.

Thin and Crunchy Coconut Biscuits

Use desiccated coconut, not coconut flakes, for crispy and light Gurundi Nigerian coconut cookies.

History lesson: why cookies are called biscuits in Nigeria.

Nigeria was under British rule during the colonial period, and English became the official language. The British brought their culinary traditions, including using the term biscuit to refer to sweet baked goods. In British English, the term biscuit encompasses what Americans typically call cookies. When enjoying a delightful sweet snack, the classic Nigerian Gurundi Crispy Coconut Biscuit is more likely to be called a biscuit than a cookie in Nigeria.

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