I want a biscuit, not a cookie.
Posted by Anonymous on Jun 06, 2007 · Member since Dec 1969 · 11789 posts
Okay, so I've made a lot of cookie recipes from here and I've come to the conclusion that an American 'cookie' is not the same as a New Zealand or British 'biscuit'. The cookies I've made don't harden up, they're soft and chewy. Apparently that's normal. I want a biscuit that is hard, and when you bite into it crumbs fly everywhere. Not moist, not soft, not chewy. The biscuits on this site seem to be savoury and served with gravy. Some even have yeast!
I really miss biscuits.
Does anyone know a recipe to make sweet, hard, biscuits?
I'm dreaming of chocolate, chocolate-chip, sultana and oat, and peanut brownies. Mmmm, biscuits for my tea.
I think we call biscuits "digestive cookies".
K^2
In New Zealand is a biscuit thin, sweet, sometimes round, hard cookie or cracker. I believe it's similar in texture to shortbread, but more like a smaller version of those Mother's brand packaged cookies you buy in the grocery store. Correct me if I'm wrong, Baypuppy.
In America, a biscuit is a thicker, softer, bread-like disc. It is often served hot out of the oven to be spread with (vegan) butter, or jam, to accompany a main dish.
Edit:
My last post should begin, "In New Zealand, a biscuit is a thin, sweet, ..."
Hate it when I do that.
We have Digestives here too, I think they are like Graham Crackers.
Below are some pictures of biscuits.
http://www.healtheries.co.nz/images/recipes/lge/apricot_&_ginger_bran.jpg
http://www.brainways.co.nz/Anzac/Images/ANZACPIC/biscuits/clothtra.jpg
http://www.couplands.co.nz/images/products/biscuits.jpg
American cookie recipes don't get to the right consistency no matter how long I bake them. Our biscuits have a consistency more like shortbread than the moist, cakey consistency of cookies.
The most common homemade biscuits here are from the Edmonds Cookbook.
125g (4.4 oz) butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 egg, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder.
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add egg, beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients. Mix. Roll into balls, put on oven tray, flatten with a fork and bake. 190 Celsius (374 Fahrenheit) for 12 mins or until pale golden.
I should just convert it, but I was being lazy trying to see if anyone had a recipe already that they knew worked.
I'll give AshleyKimball's recipe a try, and also try and convert this one. We don't have Ener-g, but we do have NoEgg, which I think is the same thing. If converts okay, I might have to work out how to post a recipe on here.
The "biscuits" I have tried remind me most of what are called "Tea Cookies" or in the Hispanic section "Marias" in the American grocery store. They seem to be less sweet, less fatty, and more crunchy than American Cookies.
If I were converting an American recipe, I would reduce or eliminate the liquids (they add a "cakey," soft quality) and somewhat reduce the sugars and oils/fats.
Okay, so I've made a lot of cookie recipes from here and I've come to the conclusion that an American 'cookie' is not the same as a New Zealand or British 'biscuit'. The cookies I've made don't harden up, they're soft and chewy. Apparently that's normal. I want a biscuit that is hard, and when you bite into it crumbs fly everywhere. Not moist, not soft, not chewy. The biscuits on this site seem to be savoury and served with gravy. Some even have yeast!
I really miss biscuits.
Does anyone know a recipe to make sweet, hard, biscuits?
I'm dreaming of chocolate, chocolate-chip, sultana and oat, and peanut brownies. Mmmm, biscuits for my tea.
I made some molasses cookies yesterday evening, I made big dough balls, but if you made them smaller, and maybe baked them for a few extra minutes, they would have been seriously snappy.
I ordered Biscoff biscuits from Amazon that fit this idea perfectly. They are firm, flat and taste like graham crackers, gingersnaps and nilla wafers all in one. I would highly recommend them if you dont mind buying rather than making. Best part? They are wonderfully vegan.
I just found out that what you call Molasses we call Treacle, so I can make some of those now. Ordering from Amazon is probably out of the question. I'm not sure how pleased they would be to ship food half way around the world, or how pleased I would be with delivery costs. It does make me jealous that so many vegan alternatives are available to so many other people.
PS. Spuy, I believe you're new. Welcome.
I've got three assignments due within days of each other, first one due today, so I haven't had time. I keep visiting vegweb because I'm procrastinating, slightly. I'll see if I get time today - I'm sure I'll need a break from all my hard work. ;)
I'm hoping they are good. For some reason I never like what I bake. Other people do, but I don't.
Question: Are oil and applesauce used in place of egg or butter?
Given the time difference, by the time I make them you'll all be in bed.
I just found out that what you call Molasses we call Treacle, so I can make some of those now. Ordering from Amazon is probably out of the question. I'm not sure how pleased they would be to ship food half way around the world, or how pleased I would be with delivery costs. It does make me jealous that so many vegan alternatives are available to so many other people.
I've made those Kick-Ass Molasses Cookies a number of times already. They are GREAT!!! I like them chewy, actually, but one time I cooked them too long and they got very crunchy and hard so they may work for you. They aren't crumbly, though. You may have to make several batches and test different cooking times until they end up like you like them.
Applesauce substitutes for oils or butter.
Egg replacer is used instead of eggs ... each brand has different ingredients acc'd to bookmama.
Bookmama uses Bob's Mill brand and our daughter, CelticKat, uses EnerG egg replacer.
ooooops, daughter is CeltKat ... bookmama just said that Post Punk Kitchen website, www.theppk. com, has a great substitution ingredient list. Go check it out.
You're right, that is a good list. I was writing a post about other egg alternatives when you answered my question before I had time to ask it. Thanks for reading my mind, less work for me.
Okay. I veganised the recipe I posted earlier in this thread and it didn't turn out well at all. I used just over half applesauce and the rest canola oil for the butter. And I made two No Egg (similar to Ener-G) eggs, when the recipe calls for one chicken egg. Biscuits are normally rolled into balls, placed on an oven sheet and squashed slightly with a fork. They tend to rise and not spread. These rose and didn't spread, so I'm doing alright there. But the mixture was so wet I had to drop spoonfuls onto the sheet, instead of making balls. That's why they look like they do. But instead of being hard, the inside is really soft and cakey.
Help please, veteran recipe adapters.
Is it too fluffly because it was too wet? Was it the applesauce that made them soft and fluffy? Was it the extra egg? Did I whisk/blend the egg too much? The recipe calls for the mixture to be beaten well, once the egg has been added. Did I whisk/blend it too much then? Did I have too much applesauce/oil?
I've attached photos.
I will try the molasses cookies now that I now that molasses is the same as treacle. But right now, I'm a bit bummed that my biscuits turned out like very sweet cookie cakes.
I'll give AshleyKimball's recipe a try, and also try and convert this one. We don't have Ener-g, but we do have NoEgg, which I think is the same thing. If converts okay, I might have to work out how to post a recipe on here.
BCSH my recipe is for an American Shortbread Cookie. It's sort of flakey and such. Not like the biscuits you're talking about. An "English" style biscuit...which I am fimilar with and like a lot...is a lot different. Try some Biscotti recipes! They are hard, but sweet and sometimes crumbly.
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6260.0
After testing my biscuits a few more times I've decided that apart from the too wet dough, they did turn out like the biscuits my dad used to make. It's been so many years since I had an egg and butter homemade biscuit that I had forgotten what they were supposed to be like. They are not as chewy or maleable as I've found some cookies to be. They are very sweet, but I believe they were a success.
My memory of biscuits has been built up over the years to something no longer resembling a biscuit.
So, on to shortbread and molasses cookies. Thanks for all your help. Sorry my distorted memories made things so difficult.
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