Important biscuit finding

[arcticpenguin]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=857&ncid=757&e=10&u=/nm/20031002/od_uk_nm/oukoe_science_biscuit


t is widely assumed that biscuits crumble because they are manhandled before they reach the consumer.

But researchers at Loughborough University in central England say the problem may be due to cooking techniques and humidity.

"When you take (a biscuit) out of the oven it likes to absorb moisture from the atmosphere," Loughborough University's Ricky Wildman told BBC Radio on Thursday.

"If the humidity of the atmosphere is set incorrectly, some parts of the biscuit are trying to dry out while some parts of the biscuit are trying to suck moisture in.

"Certain parts are contracting, others are expanding. This sets up internal forces within the biscuit and it effectively self destructs."
Americans, "biscuit" in British is equivalent to "cookie" in American.

I'll bet there's a Nobel prize in this reasearch!

[richardm]

They had a report on this on the news today. The BBC reporter went to Hall's Biscuit Factory (a major biccie maker). When asked to comment about these new findings, their head of production seemed less than impressed.

"We've known about this differential drying problem for ages", he said. "We've even got a special microwave machine that goes a long way to fixing it".

"How long have you had this machine?" asked the reported.

"Erm. About 30 years, I think", quoth the Head Biscuiter.

Thus endeth the Nobel Prize quest :D

[tamiO]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin



Americans, "biscuit" in British is equivalent to "cookie" in American.



So what do they call biscuits over there? :confused:

[Deetee]

Your mission, Richard, should you decide to accept it, is to counter the hygrodifferential dissidents.
This cookie will self destruct in 10 seconds (unless it was acquired via AOL, in which case its yours, forever.)

[Diogenes]

Originally posted by tamiO


So what do they call biscuits over there? :confused:

O.K. you U.K. peoples..

Do you have anything that looks like this?

http://www.tonidunlap.com/biscuits.jpg


In the U.S., this is a pretty generic ' biscuit '..

[richardm]

Originally posted by Diogenes

In the U.S., this is a pretty generic ' biscuit '..

Thems is "Scones", as any fule kno.

[richardm]

Originally posted by Deetee
Your mission, Richard, should you decide to accept it, is to counter the hygrodifferential dissidents.
This cookie will self destruct in 10 seconds (unless it was acquired via AOL, in which case its yours, forever.)

I am not afraid, Deetee! And I am prepared to eat large numbers of differently-prepared biscuits to prove the point!

[Ladewig]

Thems is "Scones",

My experience with scones leads me to describe them and dry and crumbly. Well-made biscuits are moist and flaky - kind of like round coissants.
biscuits, mmmmmm

[ceptimus]

The word biscuit means, 'baked twice'. Are these merican things cooked that way?

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by ceptimus
The word biscuit means, 'baked twice'. Are these merican things cooked that way?

No.

Back in 1776 we only had time to bake them once because the British were chasing us across the Red Sea. :p

[richardm]

Originally posted by Ladewig


My experience with scones leads me to describe them and dry and crumbly. Well-made biscuits are moist and flaky - kind of like round coissants.
biscuits, mmmmmm

Round Croissants, eh? Funnily enough, I had something for lunch the other day called an "Aberdeen Buttery", which was much like that. However, it was also only a couple of centimetres thick, at most.

Diogenes' picture does show something that looks distinctly sconular, in the British sense.

[arcticpenguin]

Please, let's not get into the whole "English muffin" hooha again.

[ceptimus]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin
Please, let's not get into the whole "English muffin" hooha again. Muffins, Crumpets and Pikelets (http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/guides/muffins.htm)

[Mendor]

"Certain parts are contracting, others are expanding. This sets up internal forces within the biscuit and it effectively self destructs." Well, that's the way the cookie crumbles.

*hides*

In my defence, it was my English teacher that came up with that, not me.

P.S. Aberdeen Butteries are possibly the most delicious things to have come out of Scotland.

The competition being haggis, Irn Bru, Scotch pehs and deep-fried Mars Bars, I'm sure you'll agree that this is high praise indeed.

[richardm]

Originally posted by Mendor
Well, that's the way the cookie crumbles.


:D

[Diogenes]

Originally posted by richardm


Round Croissants, eh? Funnily enough, I had something for lunch the other day called an "Aberdeen Buttery", which was much like that. However, it was also only a couple of centimetres thick, at most.

Diogenes' picture does show something that looks distinctly sconular, in the British sense.

I have to agree..

http://www.deliaonline.com/picturelibrary%5Cjpeg150/sc/scones-10.jpg

Though my googling did turn up some pretty radical departures...

Of course, here in the U.S., all biscuits are not created equal either..

[Chareen]

I'd like to know if this valuable research had government funding.:wink8:

[ceptimus]

Originally posted by Chareen
I'd like to know if this valuable research had government funding.:wink8: There is a long history of serious research into the important topic of biscuits here in the UK. See this report (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/220400.stm).

[Chareen]

Originally posted by ceptimus
There is a long history of serious research into the important topic of biscuits here in the UK. See this report (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/220400.stm).

Wow, now if you brits could just do some research into making your biscuits taste decent...

[Psi Baba]

In order to properly view this site, you must have biscuits enabled in your browser settings.

[CapelDodger]

from ceptimus:
There is a long history of serious research into the important topic of biscuits here in the UK
German bakeries also spend a huge amount on cake and biscuit research. In fact the physics of cakes and baking generally is astonishingly well developed. The reason is, of course, that the market is huge and any improvements in efficiency or quality pay back handsomely. I suspect the only better finaced areas of research are defence and pharms.

[Moccomouse]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin


"When you take (a biscuit) out of the oven it likes to absorb moisture from the atmosphere," Loughborough University's Ricky Wildman told BBC Radio on Thursday.

"If the humidity of the atmosphere is set incorrectly, some parts of the biscuit are trying to dry out while some parts of the biscuit are trying to suck moisture in.



The biscuit "likes" to absorb moisture? The biscuit is "trying" to dry out? Isn't this....what's the word....animism?

I'm sorry to bring this up, but this stuff kind of bugs me, because I see it all the time, especially in my texts at school. Isn't there a better explanation for what the biscuit does than "it just wants to?"

[EvilYeti]

Originally posted by richardm


Thems is "Scones", as any fule kno.

No, we have scones here too, unless our scones have a different meaning as well.

Here they are lard/dough mixture that can double for use a doorstop.

I guess biscuits and gravy are an uniquely American phenomenon.

[BTox]

What do ya want for nothing? A rubbbber biscuit?

[UnrepentantSinner]

I'm sorry but Scones and Gravy just doesn't sound as rib-sticking as the alternative.

I'm sure they'd F it up even worse by using brown gravy and sliced links...

[EdipisReks]

this thread is making me hungry...*runs to 24 hour convenience store*

[peptoabysmal]

Originally posted by Psi Baba
In order to properly view this site, you must have biscuits enabled in your browser settings.

LOL

And what is this Ctulhu thing I keep seeing everywhere? Do we have H.P. Lovecraft fans or what?

[Wyvern]

"If the humidity of the atmosphere is set incorrectly, some parts of the biscuit are trying to dry out while some parts of the biscuit are trying to suck moisture in.
I just hate it when anything in the atmosphere is set incorrectly.

[Hand Bent Spoon]

And we still don't know what American biscuits are called in England, though it is now probable that they simply don't have those in England.

[Skeptoid]

Does the UK version of Sesame Street have a Biscuit Monster? :D

[richardm]

Originally posted by Hand Bent Spoon
And we still don't know what American biscuits are called in England, though it is now probable that they simply don't have those in England.

We have crumbly sort of things that look like this:

http://www.ontariobeans.on.ca/cookies.gif

- these days many people would probably call them "cookies", but even then it's still a biscuit, in the same sense that a "Rich Tea", say, is still a biscuit.

[UnrepentantSinner]

Do you guys "toss your biscuits" when you vomit? Are children treated with "milk and biscuits?"

I must say though, despite my confusion, the Douglas Adams story about eating a packet of biscuits in a train station with a stranger was one of the funniest stories I've ever heard.

[Jim_MDP]

I thought it was a packet of crisps?

Not that he was the first to tell the story, I'm sure.

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

Originally posted by UnrepentantSinner
Are children treated with "milk and biscuits?"



nope:

buscuits and tea. Milk is used in tea though.

When I throw up I ralph, but never have I vomited after eating buscuits.

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

Originally posted by Chareen


Wow, now if you brits could just do some research into making your biscuits taste decent...


Dog buscuits, however, may not taste so good as Chareen has apparantly found out.

btw here is a recipe for Banana cream scones:

1 c. buttermilk biscuit mix 2 c. bread flour
pinch of salt 1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. pumpkin pie spice 1 stick cold butter, cut into pats
1/2 c. sugar or sweetener
1/2 c. brown sugar
1./2 c. pecans, chopped

1 LARGE ripe banana, mashed 1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. heavy cream 2 t. rum


Preheat oven to 375º. In lg. bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add pats of cold butter & cut into dry ingredients with pastry blender or 2 sharp knives, until resembles fine breadcrumbs.
In sm. bowl, mix mashed banana with other wet ingredients. Combine wet ingredients with dry, until soft dough forms, but do not overmix. If the dough's sticky, add a little more flour. If its dry, add a little more cream. Knead briefly on lightly floured board. Shape into circle about 1/2-1 inch thick, depending on how thick you want the scones to be. Using sharp knife, dipped in water between cuts, slice circle in 1/2s, then 1/4s and finally 1/8s. Using spatula, gently transfer triangles onto cookie sheet sprayed with butter flavored oil, placing at least 2 inches apart.

Melt 2 T. butter Mix 1/2 t. cinnamon & 3 T. sugar. Brush scones with melted butter, sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 15 mins. or until obviously done... nicely brown on bottom and slightly crusty on top. Serve warm.

[Underemployed]

I remember the first time my American wife offered to cook biscuits and gravy. I thought she had gone mad.

Everything that we call biscuits in the UK are 'cookies' in the US. In the UK, the term cookie relates solely to flat biscuits with chocolate chips or some other addition to them.

'Gravy' in the UK is a fairly specific term for a meaty stock sauce, sometimes thick, sometimes not so thick. You can get vegetarian gravy but it's not normal. 'Gravy' in the US seems to mean any savoury viscous sauce topping for a meal.

[davefoc]

What dictionary.com has to say:
Muffin
1. A small, cup-shaped quick bread, often sweetened.
2. An English muffin.

Cookie
1. A small, usually flat and crisp cake made from sweetened dough.
2. Slang. A person, usually of a specified kind: a lawyer who was a tough cookie.
3. Computer Science. A collection of information, usually including a username and the current date and time, stored on the local computer of a person using the World Wide Web, used chiefly by websites to identify users who have previously registered or visited the site.

Biscuit
1. A small cake of shortened bread leavened with baking powder or soda.
2. Chiefly British.
a. A thin, crisp cracker.
b. A cookie.
3. A pale brown.
4. pl. biscuit Clay that has been fired once but not glazed. Also called bisque2.

Scone
1. A small, rich, biscuitlike pastry or quick bread, sometimes baked on a griddle.
2. Utah. Yeast bread dough, deep-fried and served with honey and butter or with a savory filling.


Cracker
1. A thin crisp wafer or biscuit, usually made of unsweetened dough.
2. One that cracks, especially:
a. A firecracker.
b. A small cardboard cylinder covered with decorative paper that holds candy or a party favor and pops when a paper strip is pulled at one or both ends and torn.
c. The apparatus used in the cracking of petroleum.
d. One who makes unauthorized use of a computer, especially to tamper with data or programs.
3. Offensive.
a. Used as a disparaging term for a poor white person of the rural, especially southeast United States.
b. Used as a disparaging term for a white person.

[davefoc]

What this American thinks they are:

Cookie - small generally round, but at times square flat pastry made with sweetened dough that usually contains shortening. The dough may also contain such things as oatmeal or peanut butter.

Muffin - a small cupcake like bread that is brown.

English Muffin - a cylindrical bread a few inches in diameter. The bread has a soda like flavor and has fairly large holes in it.

Biscuit - small, generally cylindrical bread. Served more commonly in the south with gravy.

Scone - small sweetened bread that tastes a lot like Irish soda bread to me. I have had them in England and they taste like what we call scones in US.

Crumpet - something that a British person might eat.

Cracker - small flat unleaven bread that cracks when you eat it. Generally heavily salted, but not always.

[arcticpenguin]

Originally posted by davefoc
What this American thinks they are:

Cookie - small generally round, but at times square flat pastry made with sweetened dough that usually contains shortening. The dough may also contain such things as oatmeal or peanut butter.

When it comes to Christmas cookies, the shape thing goes right out the window.

[Bluegill]

Originally posted by UnrepentantSinner
Do you guys "toss your biscuits" when you vomit? Are children treated with "milk and biscuits?"

I must say though, despite my confusion, the Douglas Adams story about eating a packet of biscuits in a train station with a stranger was one of the funniest stories I've ever heard.

I read that about fifteen years ago, I guess. Maybe more. But to this day, I still consider that to be the funniest single thing I have ever read in my life. I think I laughed, tears on my face, for a solid fifteen minutes. Man, I'm glad I wasn't in a public place.