Dark Chocolate Deliciousness...

I must admit, I wasn't quite sure what I'd discover when I first heard of Bourbon Creams. Living in America, the word bourbon brings to mind that native spirit distilled using at least 50% corn and historically coming from Virginia and Kentucky.

So, curious to see exactly what this British biscuit is, I sought out a packet. I quickly discovered that these Bourbon Creams have nothing to do with American Bourbon, and that's a good thing!

Crawford's are one of those companies which has a very loyal following, but for which there is very little information available. If you go to the website for United Biscuits, the company which bought William Crawford & Sons in 1960, there is no information whatsoever about Crawford's biscuits. When I wrote to United Biscuits asking for information regarding this biscuit, I was told simply that they were in production at the time United Biscuits acquired Crawfords and is a small brand which is manufactured and sold in the United Kingdom only.

What we do know is that William Crawford & Sons was founded in 1813 at Leith. 

So what is a Bourbon Cream? Well, it's a dark chocolate treat! A Bourbon Cream is chocolate fondant sandwiched between two thin oblong biscuits with granular sugar sprinkled on top. Like the Custard Cream, it is neither overly sweet nor is it too fancy. It truly is a perfectly blended dark chocolate biscuit.

And it's yummy enough to feel like you are treating yourself, but not so fancy that you feel bad for having two or three at a sitting.

Now I mentioned earlier that United Biscuits informed me that Crawfords Bourbon Creams were only sold in the United Kingdom. While that might be the official story, if you spend a short bit of time on the internet, you will find quite a variety of sources to help you to enjoy this classic treat at home.

So when I have desire for some dark chocolate and I want something with a little crunch, I'm going to be relying heavily on these biscuits. I now make sure to have a packet or two in the cupboard...

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Quietly Satisfying Taste Buds for Over 100 Years...

Just the name Custard Cream made my mouth water when I first saw these biscuits. I'm not sure just what it was, but I was instantly captivated by the name and what I imagined could be nothing less than delicious. I was not wrong! 

Crawford's are one of those companies which has a very loyal following, but for which there is very little information available. If you go to the website for United Biscuits, the company which bought William Crawford & Sons in 1960, there is no information whatsoever about Crawford's biscuits. When I wrote to United Biscuits asking for information regarding this biscuit, I was told simply that they were in production at the time United Biscuits acquired Crawfords and is a small brand which is manufactured and sold in the United Kingdom only.

What we do know is that William Crawford & Sons was founded in 1813 at Leith. 

According to a 2007 BBC News article, "Nine out of 10 people [in the UK] named the custard cream as their favorite biscuit, in a poll of 7,000 people. The result even prompted surprise from Trufree, which hosted the survey, and said despite there being "so much to choose from on the market, it seems people still plump for a no-nonsense nibble." 

Self-appointed biscuit expert Stuart Payne believes that the Custard Cream dates back to the Victorian era. In the same news article he goes on to say, "The little baroque swirls on the top, that's all Victorian because in the Victorian age there were a lot of ferns so the custard cream has ferns designed on it."

So what is a Custard Cream? Well, it's delicious! Oh, yes, I said that before, didn't I? A Custard Cream is quite simple and elegant. It is vanilla icing sandwiched between two vanilla biscuits. It is neither overly sweet nor is it too fancy. It's yummy enough to feel like you are treating yourself, but not so fancy that you feel bad for having two or three at a sitting.

And they were improved in the past 10 years by removing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil  which they replaced with palm oil. These biscuits also contain no artificial colors or flavorings.

Now earlier I said that United Biscuits informed me that Crawfords Custard Creams were only sold in the United Kingdom. While that might be the official story, if you spend a short bit of time on the internet, you will find quite a variety of sources to help you to enjoy this classic treat at home outside the UK.

Now to go raid the cupboard and find what remains of my Custard Creams...

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