Scones & Biscuits — The Culinary Pro (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between American biscuits and British scones? ›

"Scones are typically made using a quick bread method with a higher ratio of liquid to flour, and sometimes no butter at all," says Snyder. In contrast, biscuits have a high ratio of butter, and the lamination process needed to achieve flaky layers is a key differentiator to scones.

Which is healthier: biscuit or scone? Biscuits are often slightly healthier than scones because they use less butter and sugar than scones.

The reason scones are called biscuits in America is likely because the recipe to make Southern biscuits is similar to those used to make hardtack. Hardtack is a dense cracker or biscuit made of similar ingredients, but no dairy.

For those in Commonwealth countries — England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Wales, and so forth — the word biscuit signifies something most Americans would call a cookie, and a scone is, well, something similar to an American biscuit: round, bready, and only slightly sweet.

Scones are dryer and crumbly. They need the thick, luscious clotted cream and jam to make a delicious sweet treat. American biscuits are more fluffy, from the extra butter, and the acidity of buttermilk. So, they are similar, but not the same.

The last piece of the puzzle, an American biscuit is a crumbly leavened quick bread similar to what we call a scone in the UK.

A cookie (American English) or biscuit (British English) is a baked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat, and sweet.

In British English, crackers are sometimes called water biscuits, or savoury biscuits.

A biscuit is well-defined, light, and airy but still robust enough to eat with gravy or stew. A scone is dense, crumbly, and drier; it doesn't flake like a biscuit but rather crumbles into delicious goodness. A scone is also usually larger than a biscuit and has more liquid in its ingredients.

A popular dessert in Britain is a bowl of “jelly.” However, in America, “jelly” is something you put on bread — or what the British call “jam.” The American-English name for the dessert is “jello.”

What does the queen call a scone? ›

I say it like 'cone' personally but Her Majesty did always say 'scon'. I think more people say 'scone' but the ones who say 'scon' swear they're the only ones that say it right. Posh people definitely say 'scon' - but ultimately both are valid."

British people call daks “trousers”, unless they're talking about jeans specifically in which case they'll more than likely call them “jeans”. Otherwise, it's trousers. Never daks, and never, ever pants. “Pants” are underwear.

Biscuits, along with cornbread and soda bread, are known as “quick bread,” because you use baking soda instead of yeast to make them. Biscuits in the UK are what we Americans call cookies.

American biscuits are different to Australian biscuits because they are more like Australian and British Scones. American Scones are also different again. Aussies refer to cookies and biscuits the same. My version may not be the authentic 'Southern American' Biscuit, whatever that is.

Digestive biscuits are used in an interchangeable way as graham crackers in the U.S. They are best described as whole wheat shortbread, and are crisp like shortbread and equally as buttery. Biscuits in Ireland are not equivalent to soft American biscuits, they are a type of cookie.

American scones:

A staple of most coffee shops, the American scone is frequently large and triangular shaped with a rustic, craggy exterior. Compared to an English scone it is more buttery and contains fruit in the center such as blueberries, raspberries and topped with a sprinkling of sugar.