Classic Romany Creams Recipe

Key ingredient notes and substitutions

You’ll find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Desiccated coconut

Use medium or slightly coarse desiccated coconut if you can. It gives the biscuits their rough, coconutty texture and makes them feel closer to classic Romany Creams.

In the UK, standard desiccated coconut is usually coarse enough for this recipe.

Caster sugar

Caster sugar creams more smoothly into the butter and gives a finer biscuit texture.

If you only have granulated sugar, blitz it briefly in a food processor until it sits somewhere between granulated and icing sugar.

The chocolate

Regular milk or dark chocolate works well for the filling. Milk chocolate gives the most familiar packet-style flavour, while dark chocolate makes them less sweet.

Let the melted chocolate thicken slightly before sandwiching so it doesn’t run out the sides.

How to make Romany Creams

1. Mix the cocoa powder with the boiled water until dissolved, then set it aside to cool slightly.

2. In a large bowl, add the room-temperature butter, caster sugar and vanilla essence.

3. Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, around 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the cocoa powder mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mixture.

5. Beat until well incorporated, approximately 1-2 minutes. Don’t worry if it looks slightly curdled at first, adding the flour will resolve that.

6. Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl with the cocoa mixture.

7. Next, add the desiccated coconut on top of the dry ingredients.

8. Using a rubber spatula or a large spoon, fold the ingredients together until mostly combined.

9. Set the spatula aside and use your hands to bring the dough together until well combined and a soft dough forms. The dough should come together easily, but if it feels very soft, the fridge rest will firm it up.

10. Tip the dough onto a large piece of clingfilm. Shape it into a rough, flat circle of approximately 2.5cm (1″) thickness. Cover it completely with the clingfilm and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

11. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.

12. Sprinkle some flour on the work surface and roll out the chilled dough to a thickness of about 6mm.

Note: Remember to sprinkle only a small amount of flour on top of the dough and around the rolling pin before you begin rolling. Avoid using too much flour on top, as it may show once baked. Alternatively, roll the dough out between two pieces of baking or wax paper.

How to get the classic Romany Creams shape

13. Take a fork and scrape rough lines across the entire surface of the rolled-out dough.

14. Scrape lines in the opposite direction to create a rough, textured, criss-cross pattern.

15. Use a round 5cm diameter cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. For the Romany Cream shape, use your fingers to gently pinch the sides of each cut-out cookie into more of an oval.

Note: Feel free to use any cookie cutter shape you prefer, or roll the dough into small balls and flatten them with a fork.

16. Place the cut-out cookies on a lined baking tray or cookie tray, leaving approximately 2.5cm (1″) between each cookie. If the trays are not going into the oven immediately, place them in the fridge. This helps the cookies retain their shape during baking.

17. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 14-15 minutes, until they look dry on the surface and feel set around the edges. Because the dough is dark, don’t rely on colour alone.

Note: If you rolled the cookies thinner than 6mm, they may need less time to bake, so check around the 12-minute mark.

18. Allow the cookies to cool on their baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

19. Pair up the cookies for sandwiching by matching similar shapes and sizes.

20. Break the chocolate into smaller pieces and place it in a small microwaveable bowl. Melt the chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted.

21. After melting the chocolate, let it sit for around 5 minutes to firm up slightly. This prevents the chocolate from being too runny and running off the cookies.

22. Spread a teaspoon of melted chocolate on one cookie, leaving its paired-up friend without chocolate, as it will be the top half of the sandwich.

23. For best results, spread chocolate on several cookies first before sandwiching them. Allowing the chocolate to set a bit prevents it from oozing out once sandwiched.

24. Once sandwiched, allow the chocolate filling to be fully set before handling the cookies or transferring them to cookie tins. This ensures they maintain their shape and integrity.

Troubleshooting

My dough is too soft to roll

Wrap it and chill it for another 10–15 minutes. Butter-based biscuit dough softens quickly in a warm kitchen.

My biscuits lost their shape

The dough was probably too warm, or the tray sat out too long before baking. Chill the cut biscuits on the tray if your kitchen is warm.

My chocolate filling is running out

Let the melted chocolate sit for a few minutes before spreading. It should be glossy but slightly thickened, not hot and runny.

My biscuits are too hard

They may have baked a little too long. They should be crisp, but not jaw-training equipment. Check them at the lower end of the baking time next time.

Variations

Half-dipped Romany Creams: Instead of sandwiching them, dip each biscuit halfway into melted chocolate and leave to set on baking paper.

White chocolate: Use melted white chocolate for a sweeter filling.

Mint chocolate: Use smooth mint chocolate for the filling. Peppermint Crisp is too chunky for neat sandwiching.

Coffee Romany Creams: Add 1–2 tablespoons instant coffee or espresso powder to the cocoa mixture for a mocha-style version.

Storage

Store Romany Creams in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. Let the chocolate filling set completely before stacking them.

For longer storage, freeze them in a sealed container for up to 3 months, with baking paper between layers. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

More South African biscuit and sweet recipes

For more South African bakes, try my outydse soetkoekies, hertzoggies, condensed milk cookies, milk tart with condensed milk or peppermint crisp tart.