Many of you have probably wondered how cookies and biscuits differ. They look alike from the outside, so why do they have different names? Today we are going to find out.
You buy a snack and the box says "biscuit", but when you open it, it looks just like a cookie. Many people wonder what the difference between biscuits and cookies really is, so today we have put together a summary of both, and how they differ.
Cookie
In the British sense, a cookie differs from a biscuit in size and texture. To the British, a cookie is a large baked treat with a thick, soft, moist texture, packed with flour, sugar and butter, and loaded with mix-ins throughout. Americans, on the other hand, call both British biscuits and British cookies "cookies", without distinction. The word "cookie" is believed to come from the Dutch koekje, meaning "little cake", probably first used during the colonial era, and the treat became hugely popular in America.
Biscuit
Although Britain and America both speak English, some words are used differently, including "biscuit" and "cookie". In fact, "biscuit" is quite a broad term. In the supermarket you will find biscuits in many forms, from small, thin, crisp bakes to soft, fluffy, cake-like ones. To the British, a biscuit is a small baked treat made from dough, decorated or flavoured with ingredients such as chocolate, dried fruit, icing, almonds or all kinds of nuts, perfect with tea and coffee. Judging by appearance, a British biscuit is the cookie we know, just as Americans call it.
The Oxford dictionary records that the word "biscuit" comes from the Latin biscotum, meaning bread "twice baked", which describes the crunchiness of the British biscuit very well. The American biscuit, however, is not a crunchy snack at all; it looks much more like a scone.
And that is the difference between cookies and biscuits.
