A Guide To Types Of Classic English Biscuits

Every country is famous for something and when it comes to the United Kingdom, it's the different types of biscuits that they take pride in. So grab a cookie and get your favorite tea ready to know the best types of English biscuits.

Cookies are a traditional staple in the United Kingdom and they boast a variety of cookies or biscuits that are an important part of the afternoon tea tradition. Just like the tea, the biscuits are taken very seriously too. Most British or English cookies are known for their crunch and satisfying snap when you break them, unlike the US cookies which have a reputation for being soft, chewy, and crumbly.

The English biscuits are best enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea, so make sure you have your own cup ready before you decide to eat them.

Scottish Shortbread

These cookies are quintessentially Scottish and they take high pride in it. It is a perfect biscuit which is also iconic. It is made with simple ingredients like sugar, butter, flour, and maybe vanilla if you like it.

They are crispy on the outside and have a great crumbly texture inside, simply perfect for your tea breaks.

Buttery Sultana Cookies

Sultanas are a type of raisin that is used extensively in British baking along with the green variant. They are known for their crispiness along with being chewy and soft in texture. These are incredibly easy to make at home as well but also great for gifting someone.

Savoy Biscuits

Savoy biscuits are little finger-shaped individual sponge biscuits similar to those used to make charlottes russes. Although they aren't as common as they once were especially in the nineteenth century.

These biscuits are light, airy, and have a gentle crunch when you snap them while having a slightly sweet flavor.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Arguably the most famous cookies in the world. Although it was invented by American chef Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1938, chocolate chip cookies are extremely popular in the UK and are often enjoyed by British people for breakfast with their cup of tea or coffee.

Chips Ahoy! is a popular chocolate chip cookie brand known for its chewy and chunky cookies is widely available throughout the world in Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America.

Grasmere Gingerbread

A traditional English biscuit which many say is more like a cake than a biscuit is a thin and chewy cookie. They make for an amazing gift especially when they are wrapped in beautiful gift wrappings and decorations.

These were once the best-known gingerbread cookies in the country and have a long history that dates back to the year 1854.

Cornish Fairings

These cookies originated from Cornwall and have sugar, flour, butter, syrup, and spices like ginger and cinnamon as common ingredients along with shortening and raising agents.

Cornish fairings are dark brown in color, spicy biscuits with a circular shape, and were often given as gifts to friends and family in the earlier times.