To the Brits: If a cookie is a biscuit, then what is a biscuit?

[happyninja42]

So, the subject line pretty much says it all. Here in the US, we call them cookies, you call them biscuits.

But we have another food that is called a biscuit. I'm assuming you guys have that food, but what do you call it?

At least here in the US, it's most commonly served with breakfast, either as a form of breakfast sandwich, or as a side to some meals in the afternoon, like chicken and vegetables, etc.

So yeah, what do you guys call a US biscuit?

 

[DefunctTheory]

I'm American, so I'm not sure, but I think American biscuits belong to the 'scone' family in Britain.

 

[Baffle]

Burgers.

Actually, I think a scone is pretty close, but their usage is different - scones are either a (crap) dessert, something you have with tea, or what you buy a 10-pack of when you're in the supermarket and can't decide what you want to eat but you want something cheap, plentiful and sweet. Though they're very dry if you don't add butter, so you need a few beers to go with them.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Scones I think? Or biscotto

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Spoiler: Here are some biscuits...

Spoiler: Here are some cookies...

Your 'biscuits' are basically just savoury servings of our scones, which are traditionally served cream, jam and buttery.

Now I'll hear no more about it. Off you go, you cheeky scamp and tell your friends what you've learnt today!

Weird. I've come over so bloody hungry for some reason.

 

[Zhukov]

Here are some biscuits...

Here are some cookies...

Finally, someone who speaks sense.

In Australia we often refer to them both as "biscuits", but if someone says "cookie" then they mean the latter.

 

[happyninja42]

Ah, you call them scones, ok, that answers that.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Here are some biscuits...

Here are some cookies...

Finally, someone who speaks sense.

In Australia we often refer to them both as "biscuits", but if someone says "cookie" then they mean the latter.

And if someone says "Anzac cookie" you are allowed to pummel them.

 

[Ironman126]

There's a lot of "American biscuits are scones" flying around here. But to all the Brits, answer me this: are not scones hard? Like rocks? Surely. Surely, the American biscuit is closer to a bread roll than a scone! It's fluffy. It's soft. It is not a building brick with marmalade! Though, if you put marmalade on one, it is quite tasty.

One might easily beat a man to death with a scone, so hard and dense are they. The only way to kill someone with an American biscuit is to smother it in gravy and serve it with sausage and grits. Even then, it will take time to work its way into the breakfast patron's arteries.

 

[Charli]

No scones are not hard. If they're hard someone gave you a stale scone.

Beat them to death with it, it is your patriotic duty colonial, One does not take a stale scone!

 

[Zhukov]

Here are some biscuits...

Here are some cookies...

Finally, someone who speaks sense.

In Australia we often refer to them both as "biscuits", but if someone says "cookie" then they mean the latter.

And if someone says "Anzac cookie" you are allowed to pummel them.

Pummel? Ha!

I'm pretty sure "Anzac cookie" gets you the fucking firing squad.

 

[Squilookle]

Here are some biscuits...

Here are some cookies...

Finally, someone who speaks sense.

In Australia we often refer to them both as "biscuits", but if someone says "cookie" then they mean the latter.

And if someone says "Anzac cookie" you are allowed to pummel them.

Pummel? Ha!

I'm pretty sure "Anzac cookie" gets you the fucking firing squad.

Which is somewhat ironic as the homemade rolled Anzac biscuits look a lot more like cookies than biscuits.

But then again, we have naming issues of our own:

 

[09philj]

Scones, but for the kinds of uses they have in America we usually have suet dumplings.

 

[DarthCoercis]

I'm pretty sure "Anzac cookie" gets you the fucking firing squad.

Nah mate, someone who says "Anzac cookie" gets tied to chair and forced to drink Fosters and watch a Yahoo Serious movie marathon.

(For anyone too young to know who the hell that is or who's not an Aussie, Yahoo Serious was our version of Pauly Shore in the late 80s / early 90s).

 

[krystalphoenix]

As far as I'm aware, in baking terms:

cookies - soft on the inside
biscuits - firm enough to "snap" when you break them.

 

[Parasondox]

Spoiler: Here are some biscuits...

Spoiler: Here are some cookies...

Your 'biscuits' are basically just savoury servings of our scones, which are traditionally served cream, jam and buttery.

Now I'll hear no more about it. Off you go, you cheeky scamp and tell your friends what you've learnt today!

Weird. I've come over so bloody hungry for some reason.

THANK YOU!!!

 

[Parasondox]

No scones are not hard. If they're hard someone gave you a stale scone.

Beat them to death with it, it is your patriotic duty colonial, One does not take a stale scone!

Scones are hard unless it's freshly made that day. Packaged scones are hard and shitty. I work in the bakery section at work and I can confirm it.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

US - Cookie, UK - Biscuit
US - Biscuit, UK - Scone
US - Muffin, UK - Cupcake/Muffin
US - Fries, UK - Chips
US - Chips, UK - Crisps

 

[van Voort]

So, the subject line pretty much says it all. Here in the US, we call them cookies, you call them biscuits.

But we have another food that is called a biscuit. I'm assuming you guys have that food, but what do you call it?

At least here in the US, it's most commonly served with breakfast, either as a form of breakfast sandwich, or as a side to some meals in the afternoon, like chicken and vegetables, etc.

So yeah, what do you guys call a US biscuit?

I will go with "We don't have that food."

There is the biscuit/cookie and chips/fries/crisps distinction, but people will be aware of that and if not will be "Hahah those wacky foreigners call it something different"

An American biscuit, as found in a KFC box would be treated as "WTF is that", and if smothered in white gravy for breakfast would be "WTF is this I am not eating that" because we don't eat either of those things let alone together.

If you are Southern you might think it is a savoury scone, Northerners might think of it as a Barm or a Stottie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barm_cake

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stottie_cake


Now a breakfast sandwich may come in anything, but an Egg Macmuffin comes in a "muffin" and what you call an "English Muffin", I've never heard any American refer to an English Muffin as a biscuit though

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Just to be clear everybody's talking about the same thing:

What are these?