Crunchy. Sweet. Buttery. Totally dunkable. These are the things we want from our British biscuits!
We are bringing you a plate of pure happiness today. Whether it is the snap of a Ginger Nut or the melt in your mouth magic of a Shortbread, this is what snack dreams are made of. So much yes.
1. Empire Biscuits
These were once known as the Deutsch Biscuit because they are so similar to Linzer cookies. But the name was quickly changed to Empire when WWI started.
They are scrumptious no matter what you call them.
These have a light and buttery biscuit and a wonderfully tart layer of raspberry jam in the middle just like Linzers. But the thing that sets them apart is the layer of icing on top and that little piece of cherry in the middle.
2. British Hobnob Biscuits
You know that a lot of British baking includes golden syrup if you have ever made British flapjacks or maybe Aussie Anzac biscuits. Our friends overseas almost always use golden syrup or treacle where we would typically use molasses to add flavor and texture.
Golden syrup is a type of light treacle or inverted sugar syrup that is amber in color and has a beautiful buttery taste.
Corn syrup is the closest thing we have, but I would not try substituting it.
It is super unique to British style baking, and I have not been able to buy the stuff in my local grocery stores, so I just make my own because it is easier than you think.
These hobnobs are delicious when you have it ready to go. They are oat flavored but not soft like an oatmeal cookie, and there are no raisins in sight.
The golden syrup makes them caramel flavored and buttery, and they are tender even though they are not chewy.
3. Homemade Jaffa Cakes
There has been a lot of controversy around the classification of this 1920s creation, believe it or not.
These are named for the jaffa orange and consist of a round vanilla cake disc topped with a circle of orange jelly before it all gets topped off with a layer of dark chocolate.
They were marketed and sold as mini cakes initially which meant they were exempt from the VAT placed on chocolate biscuits which are a luxury item.
Then a VAT tribunal was held in 1991 to decide if this treat was in fact a cake or if it should be classified as a biscuit and have to start paying value added tax as a result.
McVitie’s won out in the end with their argument that the genoise sponge turns hard if these are left out whereas biscuits would usually go soft.
It seems pretty silly all around if you ask me. All I know is that these are soft, sweet, and wonderfully rich thanks to all that chocolate.
And I am firmly in the biscuit camp since I can dunk it in my tea.
4. Scottish Shortbread
Shortbread is quintessentially Scottish, and they are very proud of it, and I do not blame them. I think it is about as perfect as a biscuit gets.
Try another recipe if you see a shortbread recipe with more than three or four ingredients. It should only ever be a super simple blend of sugar, butter, and flour, and maybe vanilla if you are posh.
The term comes from the texture of the biscuits which is very short. That just means it is lightly crisp on the outside and wonderfully crumbly on the inside.
You will need to handle the dough as little as possible to achieve this. Add the flour carefully once the butter and sugar are blended and only mix until it just comes together.
The English like to top theirs with a thin layer of sugar that sticks as it cooks, but keep it simple and buttery for the real deal.
5. Black Currant Tea Biscuits
Black currants are super popular in the UK, and Ribena is one of their most popular drinks made from these juicy berries. It is not too sweet and slightly acidic, plus the color is stunningly deep.
They were banned in the states in the early 1900s unfortunately because they were thought to produce a fungus that was killing pine trees.
It is not a familiar flavor for us as a result. Still, I highly recommend giving these a go.
Chances are you will need to look online for the currants, though some health food stores might have them in stock.
6. Homemade Malted Milk Biscuits Recipe
Malted milk is a unique blend of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk powder. It is hard to describe the flavor, but you will know it as soon as you try it.
Have you ever had Malteasers because they are made with malted milk too. Horlicks is probably one of the most well known or maybe Ovaltine.
It is often drunk like hot chocolate warm and with lots of milk or hot water. It is used for flavor as well as added texture in cookies and biscuits.
In addition it helps to keep the biscuits tender for longer. This recipe also calls for golden syrup so you could use the rest for this recipe if you made a batch for the hobnobs.
7. Classic British Bourbons
There is no alcohol in these biscuits despite the name. Instead they get their name from where they were invented and the hometown of the inventor, Bourneville and Bonn respectively.
Also this is actually pronounced boar-bon where we would typically say ber-bon. I have heard this likened to an Oreo though the chocolate flavor is not as intense.
Rather it is a light chocolate cookie with chocolate cream inside.
You will notice that there are no eggs in the dough only a little milk to help it bind. That is because these are not made to rise.
Be sure to chill them before you bake so they keep their shape and let them cool down completely before adding a thin layer of chocolate cream to the middle.
Dip one in a cup of tea for a few seconds before you eat it for the real British experience.
8. Cornish Fairings
Cornish fairings are a type of spiced ginger biscuits from Cornwall as you have probably guessed. The name comes from the idea of a fairing which was a treat given to a loved one in farewell.
These are closer to ginger snaps in that they are crunchy and will snap when you break them in half unlike gingerbread men which are usually soft in the middle.
You will see golden syrup on the list once again. Didn’t I warn you that a lot of British baking uses the stuff.
Unusually this recipe is vegan using vegan butter in place of regular and containing no eggs. Though you can use regular butter if you want of course.
9. Homemade Party Rings
Party rings are so comfortingly British and just the thought of them will leave you with serious nostalgia. They are pretty simple when you pick them apart, but it is more about how and when kids ate them.
These often made an appearance at birthday parties as the name suggests. The biscuit itself is a simple shortbread dough only it does not have any vanilla because it gets coated in a sweet glaze.
But the glaze is crucial. It cannot just be white or pink or blue.
It needs to be colorful and with stripes that you will feather with a toothpick.
10. Buttery Sultana Cookies
Sultanas are essentially raisins only they are exclusively made from seedless green grapes. They are most often used in British baking along with golden raisins.
I remember my Grandma making something close to this as a kid and we used to laugh and squirm because she called them fly cookies.
There were no little black dots when she put them in the oven according to her. You can use raisins here of course though sultanas are typically smaller so maybe cut them in half first.
