Friday 30 January 2015

Bourbon biscuits...

Late last night I found myself lured to the tin of biscuits we were given for Christmas by my mother-in-law. Just why this happened I’m not sure, but it could be that I am trying to ‘lose a little weight’ which invariably means I am tempted by all the things I would not usually think about. You see, I’m not a huge fan of biscuits although I prefer them to those awful cookie things that seem to have encroached upon us from the USA.

Of course in the United States, a ‘biscuit’ is a savoury quick bread a little like a scone, and sugar is not used in the dough. Yes, I don’t get it either, particularly as biscuit is from the French word 'bescuit' derived from the Latin bis (twice) and coquere (cooked), hence ‘twice-cooked’ as all good biscuits should be; real biscuits need to have a snap and a crunch you see.

Anyway, I digress - back to the biscuit tin. Most of the goodies had gone. All that was left were a couple of oatcakes, a few custard creams and all (yes all) of the chocolate Bourbons. Of course this was no great surprise as I don’t believe that anyone actually eats Bourbon biscuits. In fact, I can’t understand why biscuit companies insist in making them and putting them in their tins.

The Bourbon was invented in Bermondsey, South London, in 1910 by Peek Frean, the company who gave us the Garibaldi. It was originally called the Creola, until either Mr Peak or Mr Frean decided it would be more appealing if the name was changed to that of France’s guillotined royal family. Well remember, they named the Garibaldi biscuit after Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian general and leader of the struggle to unify Italy. So we probably got off lightly. After all, they could have called it the Botha Biscuit, the Kitchener Krumble, or even the Mafeking Malt.

But I digress once more, back to the biscuit tin. Just who eats Bourbons, anybody? In my experience they are always the last in the tin and invariably end up out of the tin and into the bin. Is there a Bourbon biscuit retirement home somewhere where all the millions of unwanted Bourbons go to moan about how unloved they were throughout their biscuity lives?

One last thing. Just what are Bourbons meant to taste of? It certainly isn't Bourbon as in the alcoholic beverage. The biscuit bit has the colour of chocolate, the cream stuff in the middle could be chocolate, but when you bite into it it tastes nothing like chocolate. I don't know, but one thing is for sure - next time I'm getting to the biscuit tin first.

62 comments:

  1. Nick Jones on FB
    Yes, I love them. What the hell is wrong with you?!

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    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      I think you will find that they are made from rabbit droppings Nick. They are the devil's biscuit. I doubt I will get a single other saying they like them Mr Minority.

      Delete
  2. Lucy Cutler
    I flippin love 'em, dipped in tea until they are nearly soggy! Yum!

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    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      I think you are making it up Lucy.

      Delete
  3. Jamie Morden on FB
    My fav Bikkie! Mug of Tea and these...heaven

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    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      But they taste of coal dust Jamie.

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    2. Jamie Morden
      Ha...No they're great...Having the two layers defies Gravity just that bit longer to get it from Tea - Mouth...instead of a pile of squishy crumbs at the bottom of the Mug

      Jamie Morden
      Besides...How do you know what Coal dust tastes like?

      Delete
    3. Andrew Height
      I am a big fan of coal and I don't dunk Jamie. How very, very common

      Delete
  4. Paul Whitehouse on FB
    Aaaah Biscuits and Gravy....that southern staple Andrew ....what's your view I wonder????

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    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      I'm no redneck Paul. How very dare you!

      Delete
  5. Robert Mills on FB
    I'll eat them, but would buy Custard Creams

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  6. Vicky Sutcliffe on FB
    Bleh!

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    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      At least I have you on side Vicky.

      Delete
  7. Kieran Goodwin on FB
    I can eat them til' they come out of my ears

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  8. Andrew Height
    It seems that I may be losing the battle of the Bourbons

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  9. Andrew Height
    Help me out here somebody - apparently they are in the top 10 favourite biscuits - ridiculous!

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  10. Cloe Fyne on FB
    I would t go that far! Jan rings are much nicer! Jammy dodgers, nice, garibaldi! God, I don't even eat biscuits maybe I should! Lol

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  11. Mick Norman on FB
    I miss bourbon creams

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  12. Vicky Brickhill on FB
    I love them dunked in hot tea

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  13. Jayne Butterworth on FB
    I love em too andrew! Used to pick em out of the biccy selection box as a kid and my nana used to buy em me. Paul doesnt mind em either! X

    ReplyDelete
  14. Jayne Butterworth on FB
    Kirk on corrie just had a plate of bourbon bics! Soz andrew its on corrie u have lost the debate ha ha! X

    ReplyDelete
  15. Carmel Payne on FB
    Hideous! I love Farley's Rusks though, that may make me slightly weird.

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  16. Bernadette Doyle on FB
    I'm mad for them

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  17. Bernadette Doyle on FB
    And I loe Garibaldis, Custard Creams and Fig Rolls.

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  18. Ian Maclachlan on FB
    I love em'. Fig rolls are the best though.

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  19. Andrew Height on FB
    Okay I concede. They are still rubbish biscuits though. Can't beat a Gypsy Cream.

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    Replies
    1. Ian Maclachlan
      What's a Gypsy Cream!

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    2. Andrew Height
      Ian gypsy creams are sadly discontinued. They were the best biscuits in the world. You can get Romany Creams but they are not as good.

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    3. Ian Maclachlan on FB
      No Big Fat Gypsy Creams? A reboot following the TVs series may be in order.

      Delete
  20. Katie Louise Scott on FB
    Me! x

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  21. Mel Mackuin on FB
    Bourbon is nice with a little ice...

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  22. Sharon Taylor on FB
    I am joining late but this biscuit got me through coffee and essay writing nights when the deadline was the next morning, I had two cups one for drinking and one for dunking. Another note is that when I used to commute to London every day I went past the Peak Freans social club building everyday, it has now been knocked dowm for flats. The morale of my story is that I do not eat bourbon biscuits anymore as I peaked early on!

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  23. Peter Burns on FB
    Absolutely gimme gimme

    ReplyDelete
  24. Andrew Height
    I may make these. They contain real Bourbon and have to be better than the usual dry rubbish
    http://stasty.com/?p=3625

    Chocolate Bourbon Biscuits
    Chocolate Bourbon Biscuits May 31, 2012By Vicky in Treats 5 Comments Tags: biscuits, bourbons,...

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  25. Graham Ido Taxi Kinsey on FB
    Love um dunked in tea

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  26. Okay, thanks everyone - I guess I will have to think again (reaches for the biscuit tin in tears).

    ReplyDelete
  27. Lynda Henderson on FB
    wait what biscuits? you mean cookies?

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    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      No biscuits. Double baked as in the French.

      Delete
    2. Lynda Henderson
      french folk call cookies biscuits and in 'merica, we call em cookies

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    3. Andrew Height
      Cookies are soft. Biscuits have crunch. No competition.

      Delete
    4. Lynda Henderson
      I like crispy cookies!

      Delete
  28. Maggie Patzuk on FB
    What about rolls? hee hee hee!!

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    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      Are we talking bread rolls Maggie?

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. Maggie Patzuk
      Yes! Dinner rolls, crescent rolls, parkerhouse rolls, potato rolls!!!

      Delete
    4. Andrew Height
      American food is so confusing. I have never heard of parkerhouse rolls.

      Delete
  29. Fraser Stewart on FB
    Who ate all the biscuits? Who ate all the biscuits? You….

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  30. Richard Shore on FB
    The only thing better than a Bourbon is a Custard Cream

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      Maybe that should be one of your 7 interesting things about you Richard Shore

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    2. Richard Shore
      It's not particularly interesting

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    3. Andrew Height
      What are you interesting things then Richard? You really do take the biscuit.

      Delete
  31. Tim Preston on FB
    I can't believe this. Custard creams are far superior. But where are we setting the boundaries for this? Peak Freans Teatime Assortment or can I include chocolate hobbies as the biscuit of biscuits?

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  32. Nick Jones on FB
    I love that a post about biscuits has had such a passionate response.

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    Replies
    1. Andrew Height
      Yeah, beats angst and death by a mile Nick. Kittens next...

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    2. Nick Jones
      I HATE KITTENS!!!

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    3. Andrew Height
      I HATE BOURBONS!!! But there you have it.

      Delete
  33. Nick Jones
    I don't really hate kittens, I love them. Especially dunked in tea.

    ReplyDelete