What is the difference between cookies and biscuits

After a tiring day at work, relishing masala tea or coffee on the terrace of the house along with your favourite biscuit or cookie is the real bliss. But, while you enjoy the flavours, have you ever thought what the real difference between biscuits and cookies is? Often shaped as discs, the two celebrated snack items (also used in desserts) are actually different in terms of texture, ingredients and much more. Let’s find out.

Cookie is an American English name, which was derived from the Dutch word ‘koekje’ which means ’little cake’. Cookies are loaded with flavours and take more time to bake, because of the thick batter and dense ingredients that range between nuts, oats, chocolate chips and resins. They are generally moist and chewy in texture.

Biscuit is a British English name, which is derived from the Middle French word ‘bescuit’ which is derived from the Latin words bis (twice) and coquere (to cook, cooked), which means ‘twice-cooked’. With a light texture and a crusty exterior, biscuits are generally made of butter, flour, and sugar or salt. They are thinner in dimension as compared to cookies.

1. Cookies require soft dough, while biscuits require hard dough.
2. Cookies are little heavier than biscuits, whereas, biscuits are fluffier than cookies.
3. Cookies contain more sugar than biscuits.

According to Nitya Sehgal, a food stylist, “Cookies call for detailing in terms of toppings and frosting, whereas biscuits are relativity plain and require no elaborate decoration.” She further adds, “In India, the most popular forms of cookie decoration include glazing, frosting, royal icing and dry toppings. The dry toppings are added before the cookies are placed in the oven, while other forms of decoration are done after the baking procedure.”