National Biscuit Day is just around the corner! Join in on the fun by baking biscuits with your family. Whether you’re making them at home or buying them from a shop, there are so many different types of biscuits to choose from. And it’s not just about eating biscuits, either – they make great gifts too!
When is National Biscuit Day?
The 29th of May is National Biscuit Day in the UK.
Why do we celebrate National Biscuit Day?
National Biscuit Day is a day to celebrate all things biscuity! The humble biscuit can be found in almost every culture through various shapes and sizes.
You may not realise this, but biscuits are the original energy food for many different cultures throughout history! Biscuits were relied on a staple source of nutrition when they were out conquering other lands or venturing long journeys across seas with little provisions. From Egyptians taking one step at a time to Romans staying strong during battles; it was these hardy snacks that made sure our ancestors survived before we had processed foods like cereal bars and granola packs around today.
Treat yourself and your family to National Biscuit Day!
How you celebrate National Biscuit Day is entirely up to you – but celebrate it you must! You might want to use the day as an excuse to bake up some of your family’s favourite biscuits, or maybe you’ll want to start a new tradition and find out what sort of biscuit-y bliss they might enjoy!
What is the oldest biscuit in the UK?
The Aberffraw biscuit is the oldest biscuit in the UK.
The Aberffraw Biscuit dates back hundreds of years to the time of Owain Glyndŵr, Prince of Wales and his wife Margaret. Whether it was provided by her or an idea from Owain himself, using local ingredients to produce their own food for long periods away from home and supply provisions for their people was always high on Margaret’s agenda. The result is that she created a recipe for a traditional Welsh biscuit which bears her name, Aberffraw biscuits.
Biscuit versus Biscuit
The word “biscuit” has a different meaning depending on where you are in the world.
In the UK, a biscuit is typically a flat, sweet treat. The shape might differ, some have cream or icing or caramel, but generally if you say biscuit in the UK most people know exactly what you mean.
In the US, a biscuit is something entirely different.
American biscuits are usually small, fluffy breads, raised with baking powder or buttermilk. They are often served with butter, jam or gravy if they are in a savoury dish. They are pretty close to what the British would call scones, but not exactly. But that’s probably a whole other article… What we call a biscuit in the UK – i.e. a sweet treat – would be called a cookie!
How many biscuits are eaten in the UK?
The United Kingdom eats over 50 biscuits per second on average, making it a perfect candidate for dedicated biscuit-eating-related festivities!
What is the UK biscuit industry worth?
Over the five years to 2020-21, the Biscuit Production industry’s revenue is expected to be £3.1 billion. It’s a monster. A cookie monster!
What is the best-selling biscuit in the UK?
McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives remain the top-selling biscuit in the United Kingdom by a long way. Digestives have been on sale since 1892 and they are now marketed in over 130 countries, making them one of the world’s most successful biscuit exports. Digestive biscuits are often eaten with coffee or tea as snacks, or with breakfast cereals to give a sweeter taste.
What is the history of the Digestive biscuit?
Digestive biscuits were originally developed for people who found hard wooden bread unrefined and brutal on their digestion after heavy meals. Initially called “Indian crackers”, these biscuits were easier on their stomachs than pure (crumbly) wholemeal bread – easier to digest – hence their name!
What are the most popular types of biscuits in the UK?
The top five biscuit varieties eaten in the UK today are: Shortbread, Chocolate Digestives, Chocolate Hobnobs, Custard Creams and Jammie Dodgers. You might want to buy a few packets of your favourite type for this year’s National Biscuit Day! (Or – get baking!!) A recent poll has revealed Britain’s favourite biscuits – do you agree with these results?
- Chocolate Digestive
- Chocolate Hobnob
- Jammie Dodger
- Custard Cream
- Shortbread
- Bourbon
- Jaffa Cake
- Ginger Nut
- Digestive
- Wagon Wheel
- Kit Kat
- Caramel Wafer
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Rich Tea
- Fig Roll
- Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Malted Milk
- Chocolate Finger
- Hob Nob
- Chunky Cookie
What are the best biscuit recipes?
A while ago we baked some AMAZING custard cream biscuits – if you fancy having a go yourself, here is the recipe:
Makes: About 20 biscuits
Takes: About 40 minutes and 10 minutes to cook
Ingredients (Biscuits)
- 200g unsalted butter
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 85g custard powder
- 225g plain flour
Ingredients (for the filling)
- 115g unsalted butter
- 30g custard powder
- 150g icing sugar
- 1.5 tbsp semi skimmed milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C (fan oven). Or Gas Mark 4.
- Line 2 large baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- Beat together the sugar, butter, vanilla and custard powder.
- Add the flour and mix into a big ball. Divide the dough into 4.
- Roll out 1 piece between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper.
- Remove the paper and cut into rectangles (about 7cm x 5 cm).
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
Dip a skewer in flour and use to make holes. - Bake for 10 minutes. Leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, mix together all of the filling ingredients, spread onto half of the biscuit and top with the other half.
Here are some other biscuit recipes to try:
White Chocolate Cookie Recipe – deliciously chewy, melt-in-the-mouth and crunchy on the outside.
An Amazing Choc Chip Cookie Recipe – without a doubt one of the easiest cookie recipes we’ve seen in the long time!
Digestive Biscuits – Jamie Oliver shows us how to make one of the most popular UK biscuits!
