Bourbon Biscuit Recipe, Homemade Classic British Biscuits (2024)

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Want a proper Bourbon biscuits recipe? I’ve got the best one for you right below! Sorry, there’s no liquor in this classic British biscuit, but it won’t matter because you’ll fall in love these chocolate cookies anyway.

Bourbon Biscuit Recipe, Homemade Classic British Biscuits (1)

If you go to the UK, there’s a good chance that you’ll cross paths with the classic British Bourbon biscuit.

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What are Bourbon Biscuits?

Along with Digestives, custard creams, and shortbread, Bourbon creams are some of the most popular biscuits which are frequently enjoyed across the pond. Despite their name, there is no alcohol involved. Bourbon biscuits are simply chocolate sandwich biscuits with a chocolate cream filling.

Like their custard cream cousin, this Bourbon Biscuit recipe requires custard powder to give them their unique flavor. This is not just another chocolate biscuit.

For Christmas last year, my daughter gifted me with something she knew I had wanted, these biscuit cutters! They include Bourbon biscuits, Party Rings, Jammy Dodgers and Custard Creams cutters!

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This will explain how I was able to make the Bourbon biscuits look like a store-bought biscuit. No worries if you don’t have them, though; you can just cut the chocolate biscuit dough into fingers and use a fork to prick them. If you use this Bourbon biscuit recipe, they will taste the same with or without the cutters. You can purchase the biscuit cutters here.

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NB: according to Wikipedia, these biscuits are called Bourbon biscuits after the European house of Bourbon (nothing to do with the liquor). They also note that Bourbons are apparently the 5th most popular biscuit in the UK for tea dunking!

Classic Bourbon Biscuit Recipe

recipe slightly adapted from Lofty Peak Recipe Book makes about 18 sandwich biscuits

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)

Sift flour, custard powder and good quality cocoa into a large bowl.

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Cream butter and sugar, then stir in the egg. Next, add the sifted ingredients from the other bowl and mix to an even dough.

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Put the dough onto worktop and using flour, roll out to about 1/8″ thickness and cut into fingers.

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Then, place on lined baking tray.

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Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, turning half way through baking time to assure even results.

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Finally, place on cooling rack and let cool before filling them.

Bourbon Biscuit Cream Filling

recipe by Christina Conte

Mix all the ingredients together to form a stiff buttercream. Adjust with a few drops of liquid; just don’t make the filling too soft.

Next, match up two biscuits at a time (they won’t all be exactly the same size, believe it or not) and sandwich together with the filling.

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Continue until all the biscuits and filling are used. Finally, enjoy with a steaming hot, cup of tea!

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More classic English recipes can be found here.

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Homemade Bourbon Biscuit Recipe

Yield: 18 biscuits

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A classic British chocolate biscuit.

Ingredients

Biscuit Dough

  • 1 1/3 cup (6 oz) all purpose (plain) flour
  • 1/2 cup (2 oz) custard powder (Bird’s Custard Powder-available on Amazon and in British shops)
  • 1/4 cup (1 oz) unsweetened cocoa (I use Barry cocoa)
  • 1 stick (4 oz) butter
  • 1/2 cup (4 oz)Baker's/caster sugar
  • 1 egg

Filling

  • 1 cup (4 oz) confectioner's/powdered sugar
  • 1/4 stick (1 oz) butter
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
  • a few drops of milk or water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)

  1. Sift flour, custard powder and cocoa into a large bowl.
  2. Cream butter and sugar, then stir in the egg. Add the sifted ingredients from the other bowl and mix to an even dough.
  3. Place onto worktop and using flour, roll out to about 1/8" thickness and cut into fingers.
  4. Place on lined baking tray.
  5. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, turning half way through baking time to assure even results.
  6. Place on cooling rack and let cool before filling them.

Bourbon Biscuit Cream Filling

  1. Mix all the ingredients together to form a stiff buttercream. Adjust with a few drops of liquid; just don't make the filling too soft.
  2. Match up two biscuits at a time (they won't all be exactly the same size, believe it or not) and sandwich together with the filling.
  3. Continue until all the biscuits and filling are used. Enjoy with a steaming hot, cup of tea!

Notes

  • If you love Bourbon biscuits, try custard creams, too!
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 9Serving Size: 2
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 290Total Fat: 13gCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 1g

Did you make this recipe?

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Bourbon Biscuit Recipe, Homemade Classic British Biscuits (2024)

FAQs

Are Bourbon biscuits British? ›

They are often called Bourbon Creams. The biscuits were originally manufactured in 1910 by a British company called Peek Freans but now most are produced by British supermarkets under their own name, hence they can be difficult to find outside the UK.

What are the ingredients in bourbon cream biscuits? ›

INGREDIENTS:Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Sugar, Palm Oil, Icing Sugar, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder (6%), Wheat Starch, Palm Fat, Palm Kernel Fat, Glucose Syrup, Dextrose, Sea Salt, Raising Agents: Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate, Ammonium Hydrogen Carbonate; Flavouring.

Which country made Bourbon biscuits? ›

Bourbon biscuit
Alternative namesBourbon cream, Bourbon, Chocolate Bourbon
Region or stateLondon
Created byPeek Freans
Main ingredientsDark chocolate-flavoured biscuits, chocolate buttercream
Media: Bourbon
3 more rows

Are homemade biscuits better with butter or shortening? ›

The butter version rises the highest — look at those flaky layers! The shortening biscuit is slightly shorter and a bit drier, too. Butter contains a bit of water, which helps create steam and gives baked goods a boost.

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.

What are British biscuits called in America? ›

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.

Are all Bourbon biscuits made in the same factory? ›

Now, many companies make their own version of the biscuit under the Bourbon name - including major supermarkets. Many would consider these biscuits to be pretty standardised, perhaps even made in the same factory and packaged for different stores.

Who makes Bourbon biscuits UK? ›

Made popular in Bermondsey, South East London, yards from our chocolate factory, the Bourbon Biscuit was made a household name worldwide by Peek Freans biscuit factory when they started to make Bourbons back in 1910. Being a chocolate factory who are we not to try our hand at the humble bourbon?

Is bourbon cream the same as Bourbon? ›

Bourbon Cream is handcrafted using Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon, making it a perfect marriage of rich delicious cream and smooth Kentucky bourbon. You can enjoy it chilled, on the rocks, or pour it in a cup of coffee for an indulgent after dinner treat. Try the Buffalo Float- “the adult root beer float.”

Do they have Bourbon biscuits in America? ›

Britannia Bourbon Choco Kreme Biscuits, 13.7 OZ - Walmart.com.

What is the oldest biscuit brand in the world? ›

Huntley & Palmers is a British company of biscuit makers originally based in Reading, Berkshire. Formed by Joseph Huntley in 1822, the company became one of the world's first global brands (chiefly led by George Palmer who joined in 1841) and ran what was once the world's largest biscuit factory.

What is the oldest biscuit? ›

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.

Is it better to use milk or buttermilk in biscuits? ›

What's the Difference Between Buttermilk Biscuits and Regular Biscuits? As the names might suggest, regular biscuits do not contain buttermilk, while these do. Regular biscuits are typically prepared with milk or water instead. Buttermilk adds a nice tang to the biscuit flavor and helps them rise better.

Is buttermilk or milk better for biscuits? ›

Buttermilk can produce better results when baking biscuits than using regular milk or cream. Buttermilk is acidic and when it is combined with baking soda, it creates a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas, which causes the dough to rise and gives the biscuits a light and flaky texture.

Why is buttermilk better for biscuits? ›

Its tart nature delivers a flavor component and works with baking soda to produce the gas that makes gives biscuits their much-needed lift. Additionally, because it is acidic, buttermilk works on the gluten, resulting in a more delicate crumb that Southern biscuits are known for.

What do British call real biscuits? ›

A biscuit is a cookie. A British person would only call chocolate-chip biscuits a cookie. Scones are a baked item made of firm dough. They are neither soft like bread or crisp like a cookie or a biscuit but are somewhere in between, a bit like the shortcake in strawberry shortcake, or American biscuits, except sweet.

What makes a British biscuit? ›

It essentially means twice baked! More firm, thinner and fluffier than a cookie, biscuits require a harder dough to create the correct texture. These deliciously crumbly treats are usually made with only a few ingredients, butter, flour and sugar.

What is the quintessential British biscuit? ›

The UK's Top 4 Biscuits: How to Make Them
  • Shortbread. It's official: shortbread is the nation's favourite biscuit. ...
  • Jaffa Cakes. 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. ...
  • Gingerbread. ...
  • Ladyfingers.

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