Want a proper Bourbon biscuits recipe? I’ve got the best one for you right below! Sorry, there’s no liquor in this classic British biscuit, but it won’t matter because you’ll fall in love these chocolate cookies anyway.
If you go to the UK, there’s a good chance that you’ll cross paths with the classic British Bourbon biscuit.
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What are Bourbon Biscuits?
Along with Digestives, custard creams, and shortbread, Bourbon creams are some of the most popular biscuits which are frequently enjoyed across the pond. Despite their name, there is no alcohol involved. Bourbon biscuits are simply chocolate sandwich biscuits with a chocolate cream filling.
Like their custard cream cousin, this Bourbon Biscuit recipe requires custard powder to give them their unique flavor. This is not just another chocolate biscuit.
For Christmas last year, my daughter gifted me with something she knew I had wanted, these biscuit cutters! They include Bourbon biscuits, Party Rings, Jammy Dodgers and Custard Creams cutters!
This will explain how I was able to make the Bourbon biscuits look like a store-bought biscuit. No worries if you don’t have them, though; you can just cut the chocolate biscuit dough into fingers and use a fork to prick them. If you use this Bourbon biscuit recipe, they will taste the same with or without the cutters. You can purchase the biscuit cutters here.
NB: according to Wikipedia, these biscuits are called Bourbon biscuits after the European house of Bourbon (nothing to do with the liquor). They also note that Bourbons are apparently the 5th most popular biscuit in the UK for tea dunking!
Classic Bourbon Biscuit Recipe
recipe slightly adapted from Lofty Peak Recipe Book makes about 18 sandwich biscuits
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
Sift flour, custard powder and good quality cocoa into a large bowl.
Cream butter and sugar, then stir in the egg. Next, add the sifted ingredients from the other bowl and mix to an even dough.
Put the dough onto worktop and using flour, roll out to about 1/8″ thickness and cut into fingers.
Then, place on lined baking tray.
Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, turning half way through baking time to assure even results.
Finally, place on cooling rack and let cool before filling them.
Bourbon Biscuit Cream Filling
recipe by Christina Conte
Mix all the ingredients together to form a stiff buttercream. Adjust with a few drops of liquid; just don’t make the filling too soft.
Next, match up two biscuits at a time (they won’t all be exactly the same size, believe it or not) and sandwich together with the filling.
Continue until all the biscuits and filling are used. Finally, enjoy with a steaming hot, cup of tea!
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More classic English recipes can be found here.
Homemade Bourbon Biscuit Recipe
A classic British chocolate biscuit.
Ingredients
Biscuit Dough
- 1 1/3 cup (6 oz) all purpose (plain) flour
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) custard powder (Bird’s Custard Powder-available on Amazon and in British shops)
- 1/4 cup (1 oz) unsweetened cocoa (I use Barry cocoa)
- 1 stick (4 oz) butter
- 1/2 cup (4 oz)Baker's/caster sugar
- 1 egg
Filling
- 1 cup (4 oz) confectioner's/powdered sugar
- 1/4 stick (1 oz) butter
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
- a few drops of milk or water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Sift flour, custard powder and cocoa into a large bowl.
- Cream butter and sugar, then stir in the egg. Add the sifted ingredients from the other bowl and mix to an even dough.
- Place onto worktop and using flour, roll out to about 1/8" thickness and cut into fingers.
- Place on lined baking tray.
- Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, turning half way through baking time to assure even results.
- Place on cooling rack and let cool before filling them.
Bourbon Biscuit Cream Filling
- Mix all the ingredients together to form a stiff buttercream. Adjust with a few drops of liquid; just don't make the filling too soft.
- Match up two biscuits at a time (they won't all be exactly the same size, believe it or not) and sandwich together with the filling.
- Continue until all the biscuits and filling are used. Enjoy with a steaming hot, cup of tea!
Notes
- If you love Bourbon biscuits, try custard creams, too!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 290Total Fat: 13gCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 1g
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Made these today. Lovely! Your recipe is so simple, and it came together really well. The dough was a breeze. Thank you!
Lovely to hear, thank you so much, Lisa! Happy that you like the recipe :)
[…] Bourbon Biscuits […]
I can’t wait to try this recipe. It looks good. Do you have a recipe for ginger crisp. If so’ please share. Thank you.
You’ll love them, Jackie! I don’t have one for Ginger Crisps, but would these fit the bill? From my friend Cynthia at What a Girl Eats.
Bought the cutters and made your recipe, following the instructions exactly. These are FANTASTIC! So easy to make, and so perfect. The reviewer who said the dough didn’t come together in the mixer just needed to be more patient. Still agog that the filling tastes just like the factory-made, only better and there’s more of it! Love the more sturdy texture of the biscuits, too. Looking forward to trying your custard creams. and hoping you plan recipes for the other cutters!
Oh that’s just wonderful, Annette! So happy you tried them and loved them. I think you’ll be even happier with the Custard Creams, to be honest! As for the other cutters, I’ve already done the Party Rings, but have yet to do the Jammy Dodgers. If you want to make those though, make the dough for my Snow Cookies and just put jam in the middle! :) Enjoy!
Thanks, Christina! Love your site! I’m an expat Scot (via England and California–even taught briefly at SDSU while finishing up my PhD) and I appreciate your cosmopolitan tastes. But if you have a foolproof tablet recipe, don’t hesitate to post it. That’s one thing I can seldom get right, which is probably a good thing . . . . :)
That’s so cool, Annette! Would you believe with my super sweet tooth, that I don’t actually like tablet? Even as a little girl in Scotland, I just never was smitten with it. However, my friend (who is also from Scotland) over at London Eats has such impeccable recipes, I’m sure his tablet is spot on! Good luck and let me know how you get on! :)
Can I substitute the egg with something?
Thanks,
Sharon
How many calories are in one of these?
Hi Quinn, I honestly don’t know, but if you follow me you’ll know that I’m not about counting calories or doing points. Eating healthy everyday allows for a Bourbon Biscuit with a cup of tea now and then. No harm done. Sorry I can’t answer your question. CC
I have just been reading the recipe and it says 290 calories at the bottom.
Thanks, Elizabeth. I’ve since updated the nutrition information, but it’s just a guide. It’s difficult to get a perfect number of calories.
Hi .. I grew up in a Canadian household ( with strong Scotish & English influences ) so proper tea and biscuits ( usually shortbread, digestives, a square of some kind ( usually coconut) however the Bourbon Biscuits were super popular ( a brand called Peak Freens they had an assorted mix that my grandma preferred ) however they changed the recipe so they are not what I remember can’t wait to try these out
I loved Peak Freans! That’s so sad that they changed the recipe! I’m sure you’ll love these, Aliza! Let me know how it goes!
they just came out of the oven and couldn’t wait for them to cool ( made 1 spare lol) and they tasted just like when I was a kid yummy ( my dough had to be kneaded by hand it just wouldn’t come together with my mixer)
Haha! Glad you liked them. Wonder why the mixer didn’t work. Did you weigh the ingredients? That makes a big difference!
I will try that next time
Peek Freans I believe it was spelt. They were lovely biscuits, we always had a tin at Christmas. These sound delicious though.
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