It’s Crunch Time – Let’s talk British Biscuits!
Just as North Americans love cookies, the Brits love their biscuits, but are they the same thing? In North America, the word cookie covers it all – chewy, crunchy, crunchy outside with a soft center, cake-like – you name it, it’s a “cookie”. In the UK, a cookie is a softer and chewier delight, whereas a biscuit is a firmer and crunchier affair. Derived from the Latin bis cotus, biscuit translates to twice-baked. Whilst not all biscuits are necessarily twice-baked these days, their crunch factor warrants that possibility and a British biscuit will always have that necessary crunch.
I love British Biscuits!
I love both cookies and biscuits, but if I had to choose, it would be the British biscuit that wins as I love a good crunch, especially with a perfect cup of tea.
British Biscuit Selection Boxes and Tins
When I was young, there were always tins of British biscuits in the house, especially around Christmas. Cadbury, McVitie’s, Marks and Spencer, and Fox’s, to name a few, all produced mouth-watering selections. I always loved the biscuit tins and still do. Not only because of what they housed, but after the biscuits were long gone, the tins were, and still are, wonderful places to keep bits and bobs!
I still remember my sister and myself surveying a freshly opened tin of biscuits and deciding which would be our top pick. Why was it that the ones covered in foil always seemed the most desirable?! Sometimes they were “just” a plain chocolate-covered biscuit wrapped in coloured foil, but on occasion, they housed highly sought-after gems like an orange or peppermint filled, chocolate covered biscuit. Those are the ones I always wanted. To this day, I still love a good biscuit selection tin.
A Few Of My Favourite British Biscuits
When it comes to British Biscuits, aside from collections, there are some fantastic individual choices…
Cadbury’s Chocolate Fingers
“Fantastically fun fingers of crispy biscuit, smothered in Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate!” This is how Cadbury describes this popular biscuit. Dairy Milk and biscuits are two of my favourite things coming together in one bite. Cadbury Chocolate Fingers are fairly simple, but delicious nonetheless! Oh, and in case you are wondering why the photo above of Cadbury Fingers says “cookies”, well, I bought these at World Market in the US. Clearly, when Cadbury exports its goods, it markets them to the audience it is selling to!
Digestive Biscuits
Originally developed in 1839 in Scotland to aid digestion, the digestive biscuit is one of Britain’s top ways to get a crunch fix and is considered one of the best biscuits to dunk in tea. I have dunked many over the years, and whilst a plain digestive is the best for dunking, hands down, the dark chocolate-covered digestive is the winner in my tasting book. I cannot be left alone with a pack of McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives! Whilst nothing beats the ease of a store-bought packet, homemade chocolate digestives are worth the effort.
Jammie Dodgers
The Brits have some fun names for things, and Jammie Dodgers is no exception. Named after the character Roger the Dodger from the British comic strip Beano, this biscuit contains a layer of jam housed between two shortcake biscuits. An ideal balance of shortcake sweetness with a slight tartness from jam makes it a favourite. I suppose by this point, there is no need to say how well they pair with a cup of tea but, I guess I just did! As much as I love chocolate biscuits, sometimes you need a change, and a Jammie Dodger is a great go-to when seeking an alternative.
Custard Creams
A custard cream is simple yet elegant. Both biscuits and filling contain custard powder, giving them a delicate and unique flavour. Originating around 1908, a typical custard cream has an elaborate design stamped onto it, depicting ferns from Victorian times.
Bourbon Creams
Don’t be misled. There is no bourbon in a Bourbon cream! Getting its name from the French House of Bourbon, it has a chocolatey buttercream, sandwiched between two chocolate biscuits – chocolate on chocolate – what is there not to love? Crawfords and M & S make wonderful versions of this popular biscuit, or if you want to make your own, here is my recipe for Bourbon Creams.
Custard Dodgers
Whilst I love both Jammie Dodgers and Custard Creams, when I was working on my cookbook, I desired the best of both biscuits in one and thus created a recipe for Custard Dodgers. A match made in heaven, or in this case, in my kitchen!
Club Biscuits
Last but not least, the Club Biscuit. No, this is not what you pack in your purse when you go out clubbing, but come to think of it, it is not a bad idea…for those of you who club. The only clubbing I do is when consuming these delicious, chocolate-covered, cream-filled biscuits! When I was young, my mum would occasionally include a Club Biscuit in my lunch box and those were always the best days! They come in a variety of flavours but orange was, and still is, my favourite!
Put the kettle on and grab those British Biscuits!
There you have it – a few of my favourite British biscuits. Now, what are you waiting for? Get that kettle on and grab a pack of YOUR favourite biscuits … or make your own. Still want to know more, well, here is a book that I recently discovered… The Biscuit: The History of a Very British Indulgence.
