Bourbon Biscuit: the first biscuit on the moon

The bourbon biscuit is an oblong biscuit sandwich created by two chocolate flavoured biscuits with a chocolate butter cream filling. A popular tea accompaniment, the bourbon is a favourite biscuit among many.

About bourbon biscuits

The Bourbon biscuit (/ˈbʊrbən/) is a sandwich-style bread comprising of two slight rectangular dull chocolate–seasoned scones with a chocolate buttercream filling. Bourbon biscuits are carefully baked (there is also an interesting fun fact about baking bourbon biscuits about which you will hear later) to a classic recipe with a smooth chocolatey filling.

Alternative names: Bourbon cream, Bourbon, Chocolate Bourbon.

Bourbon biscuit etymology

Bourbon biscuit also referred to as Bourbon cream at times, does not get its name from the popular whiskey by the same name – Bourbon.  Although many may be tempted to think this is the source. And no, the biscuits do not contain any whiskey either. Neither does the name hail from the French-Italian ruling dynasty – House of Bourbon. Though many sources cite this as the origin of the name, it is not; the biscuits hail their name from a contraction of two names: Bourneville and Bonn.

Have you at any point thought about how whiskey bourbon got its name? Or then again bourbon biscuits besides. What's their association with the French imperial family? Furthermore, who are these regal Bourbons at any rate? Where do they originate from?

All things considered, the home of whiskey bourbon is said to be the Bourbon region in Kentucky, and it was so named after the war of American autonomy as a motion of gratitude to the French lord, the Bourbon Louis XVI, for his assistance against the Brits.

Also, for our primary subject: biscuits

The chocolate crunchy sandwich used to be known as the Creola, yet at some point during the 1930s an item administrator at Peek Freans - drawing no uncertainty on some ambiguously recalled social reference - chose that the name Bourbon sounded better even in light of the fact that it has a chronicled association. It sounds somewhat posher, somewhat French, and somewhat royal as well.  The name is derived from 'beurre bon', as they were originally made with butter from the top of the milk, ie best butter.

Bourbon Biscuits were made by the equivalent Bermondsey biscuit organization as Garibaldis (squashed fly biscuits)

The significance of these two names shall be discussed later on but first, focus shall be on the man who invented this biscuit. The biscuit was presented in 1910 (initially under the name "Creola") by the scone organization Peek Freans, of Bermondsey, London, the originator of the Garibaldi bread. The Bourbon name, dating from the 1930s, originates from the European imperial House of Bourbon.

Country of Origin and Usage of bourbon biscuits

Bourbon biscuits are originally from the United Kingdom. So, on the off chance that you go to Britain, there's a decent possibility that you'll run into the great British Bourbon biscuits.

The Bourbon may be a popular biscuit delicacy but the treat was actually invented by a German – Dr. Hans Zehnloch in 1930 while working for Cadbury's R&D department. The professor came up with a trademark on the biscuit whereby each would bear 10 holes; drawing from the fact that Zehnloch literally translates into ’10 holes’.

On to where the term Bourbon actually came from, it is a contraction of their place of invention – BOURnville and professor Zehnloch's hometown – BONN.

As a result, the biscuits were originally known as Bourbon creams, but the second 'n' was dropped in 1963 and so the biscuit came to be known simply as Bourbon.

A popular snack is mostly taken during high tea in the evening, the biscuit can also be eaten on its own because it has a fondant filling and is not cracker-dry. The appearance of the biscuit is 'rich' making it popular as a snack during cocktails; and is high in sugar content, it could be taken as a dessert too.

Consumption and producers

Bourbon biscuits are, of course, the most popular in the United Kingdom where is the biggest amount of consumption per year. They are in the top three most eaten cookies in the United Kingdom for years. These biscuits are also popular in India. Alongside Digestives, Custard Creams, and shortbread, Bourbons are probably the most popular biscuits which are now and again appreciated over the pond.

Britannia

The greatest and most famous bourbon biscuit manufacturer is Britannia. Britannia's item portfolio incorporates Biscuits, Bread, Cakes, Rusk, and Dairy items including Cheese, Beverages, Milk, and Yogurt. Britannia is a brand which numerous ages of Indians have grown up with and their brands are esteemed and adored in India and the world over.

Britannia Industries Limited is an Indian nourishment items company. Established in 1892 and headquartered in Kolkata, it is one of India's most established existing organizations. It is currently part of the Wadia Group headed by Nusli Wadia. The organization sells its Britannia and Tiger brands of rolls, bread, and dairy items all through India and above 60 nations over the world.

The organization was set up in 1892 by a gathering of British specialists with speculation of ₹295. Initially, biscuits were produced in a little house in focal Kolkata.

The organization's important action is the assembling and closeout of rolls, bread, rusk, cakes, and dairy items. 

Scones represent 90% of Britannia's yearly income. The organization's plants have a yearly limit of 433,000 tonnes. In 2006, Tiger, the mass market brand, acknowledged $150.75 million in deals, including fares to the U.S. also, Australia. This adds up to 20% of Britannia incomes for that year.

Tesco

Our bakers have been baking biscuits for more than 50 years. Passing down their knowledge and care from generation to generation. Taking classic recipes – and making them the best they can be – they said on their product description.

Tesco plc exchanging as Tesco is a British worldwide good and general product retailer with a home office in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom. It is the third-biggest retailer on the planet estimated by net incomes and ninth-biggest retailer on the planet estimated by incomes.

Tesco was established in 1919 by Jack Cohen as a gathering of the market slows down. The Tesco name originally showed up in 1924, after Cohen obtained a shipment of tea from T. E. Stockwell and joined those initials with the initial two letters of his surname, and the first Tesco shop opened in 1931 in Burnt Oak, Barnet.

McVities

McVitie's is a British snack food brand owned by United Biscuits. The name derives from the original Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie & Price, Ltd., established in 1830 on Rose Street in Edinburgh, Scotland.

McVitie's company is the best-selling biscuit manufacturer in the United Kingdom.

Sample Bourbon Recipe

Bourbon biscuit, also referred to as Bourbon cream at times, does not get its name from the popular whisky by the same name – Bourbon. Although many may be tempted to think this is the source. And no, the biscuits do not contain any whisky either. Neither does the name hail from the French-Italian ruling dynasty – House of Bourbon. Though many sources site this as the origin of the name, it is not; the biscuits hail their name from a contraction of two names: Bourneville and Bonn. The significance of these two names shall be discussed later on but first, focus shall be on the man who invented this biscuit.

Country of Origin and Usage of bourbon biscuits

The Bourbon may be a popular biscuit delicacy but the treat was actually invented by a German – Dr. Hans Zehnloch in the 1930, while working for Cadbury’s R&D department. The professor came up with a trademark on the biscuit whereby each would bear 10 holes; drawing from the fact that Zehnloch literally translates into ’10 holes’. On to where the term Bourbon actually came from, it is a contraction of their place of invention – BOURnville and professor Zehnloch’s hometown – BONn. As a result, the biscuits were originally known as Bourbonn creams, but the second ‘n’ was dropped in 1963 and so the biscuit came to be known simply as Bourbon.

A popular snack taken during high tea in the evening, the biscuit can also be eaten on its own owing to the fact that it has a fondant filling and is not cracker-dry. The appearance of the biscuit is ‘rich’ making it popular as a snack during cocktails; and being high in sugar content, it could be taken as dessert too.

By: Daniele Carotenuto bourbon biscuits/shutterstock.com

Sample Bourbon Recipe

Ingredients

The biscuits:
• 110gof all purpose flour
• ½ tablespoonful of bicarbonate soda
• 50g of packed sugar – brown
• 20g of cocoa powder
• 50g of softened and unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoonful of golden syrup
• ¼ tablespoonful of salt
• 2 tablespoonfuls of milk
• 1 tablespoonful of golden castor sugar
The filling
• 50grams of softened unsalted butter
• 75grams of icing sugar
• 1tablesponful of cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoonful of the coffee essence

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 160⁰ Celcius and line the baking sheets with non-stick baking paper-parchment paper is okay.
2. Sift the bicarbonate of soda, flour, salt and cocoa together in a bowl.
3. In a separate large enough bowl, cream the brown sugar and butter ensuring the result is light and fluffy. Add the golden syrup and mix well.
4. Work the flour mix into the creamed mixture until a stiff paste is achieved. Add a little milk in small drops till soft even dough is arrived at.
5. Working on a floured surface, knead the dough, roll it out to a thickness of about 3mm and cut out the bourbon biscuit shapes with an appropriate cutter. Ideally, a bourbon biscuit is 5cm x 3 cm or thereabout.
6. With a skewer, dot holes into the cutouts. This will ensure that the inside cooks well. Then transfer to the lined baking sheets. Sprinkle some caster sugar atop each biscuit.
7. Bake for around 10-15 minutes on average, but it will depend on the quantity where more biscuits will require longer cooking.
8. Allow your biscuits to cool on a wire rack as the filling is being prepared.
9. To prepare the filling: cream some butter until fluffy. Then add some sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder and beat very well. Add coffee essence and give the mix a final beating.
10. To fill the biscuits: working on the underside of one Bourbon biscuit, spread a heaped teaspoon of the filling cream over it. Smooth the edges and sandwich with a second biscuit.
11. Store biscuits in airtight biscuit tin.

Bourbon Biscuit recipe requires custard powder to give them their unique flavor. This is not just another chocolate biscuit, the cream of this biscuits is very different than other creams and you will see that if you try these biscuits, people who tried bourbon biscuits admit that they cannot compare this cream to another popular biscuit so the same is with the homemade version.

Bourbon Biscuit Fun Facts

Even for the ardent self-proclaimed bourbon biscuit lover, there are a lot of fun facts unknown to them. Some are strange and downright ridiculous, others are fairly credible. All the same, they sure are entertaining. Just to mention a couple:like all biscuit varieties, the bourbon has an addictive ingredient – biscuity. Normally, the amount contained in each bourbon biscuit is 1.4mg. At least this goes to explain the widespread popularity of the biscuit. 

Proudly, the bourbon stands at being the very first biscuit to be consumed on the moon by Edwin Aldrin. Of course, Neil Armstrong was the first man to land on the moon, but he was not the first to enjoy a biscuit delicacy on the moon. A 2009 survey found that the Bourbon biscuit was the fifth most popular biscuit in the United Kingdom for dunking into tea.

Likewise, According to an overview of 3,000 individuals, the scone is the best to dunk into some tea, beating Rich Tea, which came in second. Two of McVitie's other top-dealers HobNobs and digestives came third and fourth with chocolate Bourbons in the fifth spot.

Chocolate digestives won because their coating protected them from the effects of the hot tea. 

Do you know why are little holes on these biscuits?

You have probably never thought about the little holes in bourbon biscuits. You, we believe, thought that these holes have no purpose, they are just a part of the design, but that is not the case. Holes in a bourbon biscuit have their purpose.

Are you curious to learn? Bourbon biscuits have little holes in them – exactly ten little holes, in fact.

A couple of years prior, Mark Greenwell, the team manager at an industrial facility in Carlisle which makes McVitie's and Carr's biscuits, sprung up on Channel 4's Food Unwrapped to uncover reality with regards to the gaps in our scones. Is it accurate to say that they are drilled in there to make a discussion moment that you're really frantic? It is safe to say that they are an error nobody needed to claim up to? Is it a piece of the organization's plan?

Possibly it is on the grounds that they would more look like a sandwich, as we realize that even sandwich ice-cream has these openings... Hmm...

The truth is:

The small holes in bourbon biscuits are to prevent the biscuits from cracking or breaking during the baking process, by allowing steam to escape. ‘If the holes weren’t there, steam would build up inside the biscuits,’ explained Mark. ‘The biscuit would collapse back down and you wouldn’t have a controllable product. ‘You’re trying to get steam out of the biscuits to have an even texture.’

*Good to know:

Bourbon Alfort biscuit is made from whole-grain flour mixed with rich milk chocolate and other halal-friendly ingredients as confirmed by Halal Foods in Japan in May 2015. 

Bourbon biscuits nutrition (Tesco Bourbon Cream Biscuit Calories and Nutrition per Biscuit (14g)

You can make your gluten-free version.