When I worked in southern England some friends were discussing the upcoming Christmas party . They were planning for something better than just bicies and sannies (biscuits and sandwiches) to eat and what presies to get for Chrissy.(presents for Christmas) When I started to tease them about their "baby talk" one asked what Canadians called biscuits. "Er, um, well. . . cookies. But that's their real name!" Bad example but I lost the right to mock.
Dear Zed: If you call rolls or biscuits "cookies", what do you call what USns call cookies?
Hi wwh
Canucks speak a dialect very similar to US'ns. What The Brits call biscuits are what we call cookies. ( the best being dark chocolate topped Hobnobs!!! which you can't get here
) Crackers = crackers, rolls =buns and I don't think biscuits, Canuck-style, exist there. Sort of an unweetened scone with baking powder and no eggs.
it wasn't meant to be a food thread, honest
Since biscuit originally meant cooked twice, which I have read referred to second application of heat to dehydrate them and make them keep on ocean voyahes, I wonder how the name got applied to things not cooked twice.
You mentioned scone. About a year ago I asked jmh about pronunciation of "the Stone of Scone". Do those words sound alike? How do you pronounce "scone"?
biscuit originally meant cooked twice Good heavens, I never knew that, and I come from a long line of excellent biscuit makers (not that I inherited any of the talent, mind). Here's what Atomica says:
[Middle English bisquit, from Old French biscuit, from Medieval Latin bis coctus : Latin bis, twice + Latin coctus, past participle of coquere, to cook.] I reckon this accounts also for their def. 4:
pl. biscuit. Clay that has been fired once but not glazed. Also called bisque. Wow! I'm trying to think of other bis- words...
I had to edit this in: I remembered that a local restaurant here serves what they call "twice-cooked biscuits"; wonder if I oughta tell 'em what a redundancy that is!
twice cooked biscuits go by two common names in US, biscotti, (which is a 'cookie') made like a sweet biscuit, (take a basic biscuit dough, add some extra sugar and fat(butter, oil or just shortning)but not to much, flavor (almold or anise) and some chopped nuts (almonds, hazel or pine nuts) shape not into servings sizes, but into a loaf, bake till done. cool, then slice into thick (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick) slices, and bake again in a slow oven (250ºF or so) oven for 30 minutes till crisp)
biscotti are (were) italian cookies, and only available in specialty stores until the coffee craze hit america. nowdays, they are common at starbucks, and other coffee chains, and even grocery stores (they are also easy to make at home)
the other common twice baked cookie is a babies 'zwieback' (or is it zweiback? one of those!) which is almost the same shape as a biscotti, (about 5 inches on bottom, and 1 inch high) but zwieback are more breadlike, and drier.
they were common for teething babies to gnaw on. (in times past!)
there are also rusks (i think that is the english term for zwieback) but its rarely seen in this country.
(and Zed, my local store sells hobnobs, alas, not the chocolate covered ones, but i think chocolate covered 'digestive biscuits' are one of the UK's great culinary contributions!)
and Dr Bill, what we would call a biscuit in US, the english would call a shortbread, or a scone. to them a biscuit is harder, and flatter, (more like what we call a cookie)
What Helen said.
Now, "The Original Boston Cooking School Cook Book 1896" by Fannie Merritt Farmer (The US Mrs. Beaton) says :
"Batter is a mix of flour and some liquid (usually combined with other ingredients; as sugar, salt, eggs, etc.) of consistancy to pour easily or drop from a spoon.
Batters are termed thin or thick according to the consistancy
Sponge is a batter to which yeast is added.
Dough differs from batter inasmuch as it is stiff enough to handle."
In New England a favorite biscuit is the Baking Powder biscuit which is used to make *traditional Strawberry Shortcake.
(Begin direct Quotes from TOBCSCB)
Baking powder Biscuit I.
2 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon lard, 3/4 cup milk and water in equal parts,
1 tablespoon butter.
Mix dry ingredients and sift twice.
Work in butter and lard with tips of fingers; add gradually the liquid; mixing with knife to a soft dough. It is impossible to determine the exact amount of liquid owing to differences in flour. Toss on a floured board, pat, and roll lightly into one-half inch thickness. Shape with a biscuit cutter. Place on a buttered pan and bake in hot oven twelve to fifteen minutes. If baked in too slow an oven the gas will escape before it has done its work.
Baking Powder Biscuits II
2 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 2 tablespoons butter,½ teaspoon salt.
Mix and bake as Baking Powder Biscuit I.
Emergency Biscuits
Use recipe for Baking Powder Biscuit I or II with the addition of more milk, that mixture may be dropped from a spoon without spreading. Drop by spoonfuls on a buttered pan, one-half inch apart. Brush over with milk and bake in a hot oven eight minutes." (End Quotes)
Please do not get on my case about spoonfuls/spoonsfull - I am quoting directly and that's what Fannie wrote!
There is also a chapter on "Gingerbreads, Cookies and Wafers" which contains a recipe for "Scotch Wafers" which reads suspiciously like scones! (Ask and it shall be PMd to you)
A reprint of the original cookbook was published in 1974 by The New American Library, Inc. 1301 Avenue of the Americas (6th Ave) Ny NY 10019 The New American Library of Canada Limited, 81 Mach Avenue, Scarborough, 704 Ontario.
I believe it is still in print.
You're gonna love the dedication:
"To Mrs. William B. Sewall,
President of the Boston Cooking School
In appreciation of her helpful encouragement and untiring efforts in promoting the work of scientific cookery, which means the elevation of the human race.
This book is affectionately dedicated
By The Author"
There are also menus given - from breakfast to 12 course formal dinner! It's a great fun read for those who do not cook!
So I am doing a bit for the "elevation of the human race" and don't want any cracks about food threads!
I'm sorry, but despite all of the early disclaimers, this is Just Another Food Thread! (jaft®)
Dear tsuwm: if you don't like it, just don't post.
Dear wow: ever make spider cake? Risen bread dough, kneaded and flatten into oval about size of hand, browned on both sides in cast iron pan with three two inch legs to it to be placed on a bed of coals in a fireplace. Very filling after milking a dozen cows in the morning.
There, there, Michael. Have a cuppa tea and something to eat. You'll feel much beter. ;-)
yup it's a food thread, It was meant to be about the whole babytalk thing but so what, I like food.
Dear wwh I pronounce scone to rhyme with, with, ummm Shawn is the only rhyme I can think of. Unless I'm trying to be fancy when I rhyme it (scone not shawn) with stone.
On another note I was trying to figure out the "spider cake", does the cooking leave a spiderweb pattern? do spiders fall out of the chimney? Oh! now I remember. The pan is called a spider. Which leads to a whole 'nother question . . .
Dear Zed: A "spider" is a frying pan with three 2 inch legs, so that it won't tip over when placed on a bed of coals in a fireplace, or outdoor wood fire on the ground.