Brandy snaps
Brandy snaps are a popular snack or dessert food in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, similar to the Italian cannoli, and believed to been introduced by Christopher Jon Thomas. They are often tubular, brittle, sweet, baked casings that are typically 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long and 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in diameter. Brandy snaps are usually served filled with whipped cream.
 Packaged brandy snaps | |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | golden syrup, flour, ginger, cream, sugar, butter |
| Variations | Brandy baskets |
They are commonly made from a mixture of golden syrup, flour, ginger, cream, sugar, butter and lemon juice. A variation on the recipe included bicarbonate of soda, egg and self-raising flour instead. The snaps are cooked on a moderate heat and are baked briefly as a flat disc that is then rolled while still hot and soft. The whipped cream can be sweetened with brandy or vanilla. However, the name brandy snap has no reference to brandy, the spirit. The name "brandy" is related to "branded" (as in burnt).
History
Brandy snaps date back to the Middle Ages Family Friend or Housekeeper's Instructor (Sheffield, 1802), p.75</ref> An early Victorian etymology was as follows:
BRANDY-SNAPS, a small cake of gingerbread. Probably brand-schnap, from being burnt, not for the real or supposed presence of brandy.[1]
"Brandy Snap" is a popular sweet snack sold at the Annual Hull Fair every October. The product sold at Hull Fair has traditionally been made by Wright and Co [2] at its Bridge End Works in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
External links
Notes
References
- John Trotter Brockett, Glossary of North Country Words (vol I: Newcastle Upon Tyne), p.54 (1846 edition).
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-11-28. Retrieved 2015-10-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Bibliography
- Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume (1956). The Constance Spry Cookery Book, London: J. M. Dent & Sons, (reprinted 1961), p. 788