| Empire biscuit | |
| Alternate Name: | German biscuit, Linzer biscuit, Deutsch biscuit, Belgian biscuit |
| Country: | Scotland |
| Type: | Cookie |
| Main Ingredient: | Biscuits, jam in between two biscuits. The top is covered with white glace icing, usually decorated with a jelly sweet |
An Empire biscuit (also known as Imperial cookie, German biscuit and Belgian biscuit) is a sweet biscuit originating in Scotland and popular in the North East of England. It is also popular in Northern Ireland, as well as Canada (particularly iconic in Winnipeg and Hamilton).[1] [2]
The Empire biscuit was originally known as the "Linzer biscuit", and later as the "Deutsch biscuit". With the outbreak of the First World War it was rechristened the Empire biscuit.[3]
The typical Empire biscuit has a layer of jam in between two biscuits, typically shortbread. The top is covered with white water icing, usually decorated with a glace cherry in the centre, but Dew Drops are common too. They are derived from the Austrian Linzer Augen,[4] a similar shortbread cookie sandwich which has 1–3 small round cut outs (the "eyes") in the upper cookie and is dusted with powdered sugar. The empire biscuit does not have a cut-out section on the top and is decorated with white icing.
Other foods renamed for political reasons include: