Classic British biscuit recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between British biscuits and American biscuits? ›

In the United Kingdom, the word biscuit refers to any hard, thin, bread-like product. A distinguishing factor between an American cookie and a British biscuit is that a British biscuit must always have a “snap” because it is crispy. In the UK, if a biscuit does not snap, or is soft, it is considered to have gone bad.

DISCOVER Aberffraw biscuits & Cornish pasties

THE ABERFFRAW BISCUIT (or cake) goes by a number of names, but whatever you call it, with a tradition dating back to the 13th century, it's often held up as the oldest recognised biscuit in Britain.

Whole wheat flour is a must for these biscuits. It provides the grainy texture and unique flavor that is the hallmark of a proper digestive biscuit. Malt extract is another important ingredient, but I can't find malt extract in my part of the world.

In the US, what us Brits call a biscuit, Americans would call a cookie - whilst an American biscuit is something resembling a British scone… making a name like Biscuiteers seem rather confusing!

It's official: shortbread is the nation's favourite biscuit. Want to make some for you and your family? Find the full recipe here. Yes, you could go with the shop-bought approach, but we reckon mastering your own Jaffa Cakes is a true show of your culinary skills.

Scones and Gravy: The English Equivalent

In England, the closest counterpart to biscuits and gravy would be scones and gravy. However, it's important to note that the gravy in this context refers to a savory sauce, rather than the creamy, sausage-infused gravy that is synonymous with the American version.

Biscuits, along with cornbread and soda bread, are known as “quick bread,” because you use baking soda instead of yeast to make them. Biscuits in the UK are what we Americans call cookies.

A "cookie" is a larger, cakey-er cookie (apparently, they also have to determine the doughiness of a treat before deciding what to call it. That's just too much work, England.);

A Biscuit (U.S.) Is a Scone (U.K.)

Both baked goodies use flour, fat, liquid and a leavening agent. The main differences are that scones tend to have less butter (because you'll add butter to it when you eating it — or else, clotted cream or jam) while American biscuits tend to have more butter and light layers.

What are empire biscuits called in England? ›

The Empire biscuit was originally known as the "Linzer biscuit", and later as the "Deutsch biscuit". With the outbreak of the First World War it was rechristened the Empire biscuit in England. The biscuit was also renamed in Scotland and New Zealand to the Belgian biscuit, as a result of the invasion of Belgium.

The secret to the best biscuits is using very cold butter and baking powder. We've made a lot of biscuits, but this easy biscuits recipe is the one we turn to the most!

Hard or crisp cookies are called biscuits in the U.K. while the chewier dessert can be identified as a cookie.

As the world's leading biscuit brand, Parle-G has become more than just a product; it represents cherished memories and a taste that transcends generations.

"The ingredients for British scones and the American biscuit are very similar," says Holly Snyder, senior culinary product developer at Amazon Fresh. "The proportions of those ingredients are the key difference; scones usually have less butter and more liquid than American biscuits."