The Biscuit of Both Worlds

You might assume, given my passion for baking gourmet, handmade cookies, that I only ever indulge in high-end treats. But you'd be wrong. To truly appreciate the luxury of a top-notch cookie, you've got to balance it with the humble charm of a classic supermarket biscuit. These biscuits may not be part of my culinary journey, but they've certainly made their way into some of my signature bakes. So, yes, I’ll take both—please and thank you! The real question is—what are my favourites.....

The Undisputed Champion: BN Biscuit

These days, I dream of the patisseries and bistros of France, but as a kid, there was one treat that really got me excited about trips to France: the BN biscuit. That smiley face, the light, sweet biscuit, and the creamy chocolate filling—my 4-year-old self was obsessed.

As I grew older, my family holidays took us further afield, and my tastes became more sophisticated. But years later, I found myself in a UK supermarket before heading to a festival, and there it was—the BN biscuit, in a snack pack. I grabbed a handful, and fast forward to me sitting in a cramped pop-up tent, enduring soggy festival conditions.

Berry Nice Cookie (retired)

Disappointment could have easily set in, but instead, I had one of those “Ratatouille” moments. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll know the scene where the food critic takes a bite of the ratatouille and is suddenly transported back to his childhood. That’s how I felt. Despite the muddy, less-than-ideal conditions, that biscuit took me straight back to simpler times, proving once again that it's the unsung hero of the biscuit world.

How I Leveled It Up: The Berry Nice Cookie, featuring a BN biscuit, raspberry jam, and white chocolate, was a little ahead of its time. Maybe it’s retired for now, but it was a hit while it lasted.

The Iconic One: Jammie Dodger

I’m all about chocolate when it comes to sweet things, but even I have to respect the Jammie Dodger. It’s like having jam with a scone—just without the hassle of actually making one. A mass-produced supermarket staple that somehow feels weirdly fancy, thanks to its shortbread-like crumb and that iconic heart-shaped jam window.The sad truth? As much as I love it, I never actually buy it. Not because it’s unworthy, but because my biscuit purchases are purely impulse-driven, and somehow, the Jammie Dodger never quite makes the cut. It’s in my top 10, but my brain's biscuit impulse muscle always skips over it.

How I Leveled It Up: Still a classic, but right now it’s shining in the Queen of Diamonds Cookie and Blondie. These feature a gummy heart, white chocolate, and a Jammie Dodger—plus a creamy Basque cheesecake mix, raspberry ripple chocolate buttons, and raspberry jam in the blondie.

The Queen Of Hearts

The Childhood Favourite That Betrayed Me: Bourbon Biscuit

As a kid, I loved Bourbon biscuits. Whenever we had an assorted selection—Malted Milk, Digestives, Custard Creams—I’d laser-focus on the Bourbons. That chocolate-on-chocolate sandwich? Elite. Then, as an adult, I revisited them. And they were just… bad. Dry. Powdery. A betrayal in biscuit form. I refuse to believe my childhood taste buds were wrong, so I can only assume the recipe has been quietly altered—cost-cutting, profit-maximizing, and, in the process, selling the soul of my once-beloved biscuit. This is the only explanation I can accept.

How I Leveled It Up: Not yet, but I’m thinking a rich chocolate Basque cheesecake could bring this biscuit back to life.

The One I Hate & The One I LoveHate: Digestives. One of my sister’s favourites. Crumbly, weirdly salty, and a total mess to eat. Why do people pretend to enjoy these? The only acceptable use is as a cheesecake base (and since I rarely eat cheesecake, I can continue to avoid them).Love: Chocolate Digestives. Completely different story. Dunking one in tea until the chocolate melts and the biscuit turns perfectly soft? That’s an experience. The tea itself? Immediately discarded—I don’t even like tea.Unpopular opinion: Scrap the Digestive altogether and all hail the Rich Tea! Why is this biscuit so underappreciated? Slathered in chocolate? Delicious. Bare naked? Still delicious. Soaked in tea to the point of being mushy? The most delicious of all.

How I Leveled It Up: Haven’t quite found a way to make Digestives work in my bakes yet. Maybe one day.

The Biscuit That Became a Celebrity: Biscoff

Biscoff used to be that free biscuit served with my parents’ coffees—so good, I’d steal it and wonder why something this delicious was being given away.Fast forward to today, and Biscoff is everywhere. Biscoff spread, Biscoff-flavored everything, a cult following that rivals Beyoncé’s fan base. These days, it’s too sweet for me on its own, but I love using it in bakes. It went from humble sidekick to main character energy, and I respect that.

How I Leveled It Up: Biscoff is everywhere in my kitchen—used in buttercream, cake crumbs, sticky toffee, and so much more. You can't go wrong with it in your bakes.

The One I Overdosed On: Oreo

The Number 1 Bestselling Brownie

My Oreo journey has been a rollercoaster.

-Phase 1: Hated them.

-Phase 2: Became obsessed, ate them constantly.

-Phase 3: Got sick of them.

-Phase 4: Indifferent.

I think they’re worth a revisit at some point, but for now, I’ll let my customers enjoy the beauty of the Basque Oreo Brownie—their joy can be my joy. One day, I’ll probably ride the rollercoaster again. Hopefully, next time around, I’ll have learned my lesson and be able to lead a life not consumed by Oreos, but instead enhanced by the occasional cookie every now and then.

How I Leveled It Up: The Basque Oreo Brownie is where Oreo truly shines, paired with the creamy richness of Basque cheesecake.

The "Never Too Old for This" Biscuit: Animal Chocolate BiscuitsThere’s a reason these have been around forever. They are pure, unproblematic joy. No matter how grown-up and sophisticated we pretend to be, nobody is too old for an animal-shaped biscuit covered in chocolate. In fact, I bought a bag recently, planning to save it for just the right mood—only to find that my parents had already finished the lot by the time I made my way around to them! (Isn’t there an unspoken rule that food can be shared, but you must always leave at least one pack?!)

How I Leveled It Up: Watch out for an animal biscuit-inspired cookie coming soon!

The “Is It a Cake or a Biscuit?”: Jaffa Cake

The eternal debate. Jaffa Cakes are whatever you want them to be, but the real question is: how do you eat them?

My method:

-Bite all the edges off.

- Peel off the chocolate.

- Eat the jelly.

-Finally, eat the sponge/biscuit/whatever-it-is.

Does this make me a monster? Maybe. But I stand by it.

How I Leveled It Up: Not sure I can improve a Jaffa Cake. It’s perfect as it is, but who knows what the future holds?

The Tiny but Mighty Classic: Maryland Cookies

Nothing like my cookies. Hard, tiny, and oh-so-chocolatey. I can’t fault them—if I had no self-control, I could easily eat a whole pack (the devilishly small size makes it feel so feasible). They’re the kind of biscuits that don’t pretend to be anything other than who they are. They stand the test of time and only seem to get better. In fact, they’re officially my number one.

How I Leveled It Up: Can’t quite justify using them in my bakes yet, but who knows? Maybe one day I’ll experiment with a Maryland-inspired creation.

To wrap it all up: What more is there to say? Go grab yourself some biscuits—you’re probably starving after reading all this. Just whatever you do, don’t reach for that Digestive!