I just received a wonderful newsletter from the British Columbia WI Provincial Board. Now, I must confess that I didn’t read the greetings very closely because I was distracted by a snap. A Brandy Snap, to be precise. What is that? Well, stick around, and I’ll tell you!
In her message, Janet writes
When I was very young and still living in England my parents always took us to the “Hull Fair” and while we were there we always bought some brandy snaps (If you Google Hull Fair you can read about their history; it has been going for 7 centuries) (Also Google Brandy Snap and you can find the recipe). When we immigrated to Canada we thought we would never have Brandy Snap again, but my Aunty Irene knew how much we liked it, so she sent us some the next year and every year for the last 55 years. Every year it arrives just before Christmas and not only my brother and sister and I look forward to it but our children and grandchildren now look for it.
I love nothing more than an invitation to use Google for research. Allow me?
Very nice. Pretty lights. Crowds. Noise. Ooh, maybe too many lights and people and too much noise. I need some distraction. Something to sooth. Ah! A treat! That ought to do it! Where is the Brandy Snap man?
Brandy Snap. Candy, Crisp, or Cookie? Would you believe “all of the above”?
Brandy snaps are a popular snack or dessert food in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. They are edible, tubular, brittle, sweet, baked casings that are typically 10 cm long and 2 cm in diameter. They are sometimes served filled with whipped cream. They are commonly made from a mixture of golden syrup, flour, ginger, cream, sugar and butter and are baked briefly as a flat disc that is then rolled while still hot and soft. They do not contain brandy.
I cannot decide if I am disappointed by the last sentence. I think, in the spirit (get it?) of the season, I shall remain unmoved. No brandy? Fine.
You can make your Brandy Snaps, if you wish. Click on the image here for a recipe from the BBC.
Alternately, you can buy them online, but shipping is limited to the UK.
There you have it! Happy Snappy from the UK, British Columbia, Google, and me!
Reblogged this on The Zombies Ate My Brains and commented:
Seasons Greetings one and all. As I wrote this piece yesterday for the FWIC blog, you were my intended audience. Which is a giant no-no in Communications 101 – “KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. I was a little less straight-laced than I normally am when I write for the women’s institutes. Maybe it was the brandy talking.
I remember as a child being afraid to try to coffee cake because there must be coffee in it, right? These brandy snaps must be wonderful with a little snifter of something delicious.
As a girl, I was vaguely disappointed in coffee cake because it DIDN’T have coffee in it. But what with the rich cake and sugary crumble on top… I got over it. Isn’t that something, eh? How we take things literally? I remember the epiphany when I was a young homemaker – pretty much a full blown Eureka moment when I realized why it was called coffee cake. D’uh.
Exactly my own reaction, Maggie, to my ridiculously literal nature which has gotten me into trouble countless times.
You have that handicap, too? My sympathies!
They look yummy. I tend to like cookies (whatever) like that.
Don’t they look great? I think it might be a good thing that I can’t order them in from the UK.
Brandy Snaps are lovely, you can find them at the seaside or popular tourist villages too. I used to gorge on them as a kid…ooh, and cinder toffee! 🙂 xx
Thanks for stopping by to read and comment!
I expect I might have to try to make some of these over the holiday. We do have cinder toffee aka sponge taffy here. Haven’t had any in a very long while. Which is probably a good thing. 🙂
I’ve just found you a recipe that includes brandy! 😀
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2451643/brandy-snaps
ooooooh, thank you! 😀
Good work Sam!!
I’ve just reviewed this recipe and it looks easy. Hmmm – I feel the need to make cookies soon 🙂
Yay!
Let me know how it goes 🙂 xx
Will do. I feel no pressure whatsoever!! 🙂
Yum! These make my breakfast toast look suddenly dull.
I know. Oatmeal doesn’t have the same appeal does it? 😉
Oatmeal. I ate it every day for years. Then one day I was done with oatmeal. Brandy Snaps could hold my attention for a long time. 🙂
😀
Great post, Maggie and charming story about 55 years of overseas treats for Janet!
Not for nothing, but the snaps could be dipped in a snifter of brandy …
That’s the real treat, isn’t it Sammy. How the tradition has carried not only across the seas, but through generations.
PS.
On my to do list: visit the liquor store.
“Leave the gun. Take the cannoli” ( Brandy Snap) .. I wonder which came first ?
LOL – I had to google that one! Thanks for adding a cultural twist to this post!
Besides, I won’t argue with the gun. Let’s say it was the cannoli.
Godfather “speak” is like another dialect here. Sorry for your google, but I’m sure it was easy to find. ☺
fuggedaboutit …
Once you get to know me, you’ll learn that I love to google. An old boss used to call me Super Sleuth. Besides, you were absolutely right. It was easy to find – first hit.
You might be interested to know that, as famous as this line is, it was an adlib from the actor. He remembered he had to stop at a bakery for the pastry, and added that as an afterthought. Happens a lot in cinema.
That delights me to know end. I do recall reading something earlier this year about famous ad libs. Thanks for adding to the fun, here.
Re: the recipe looking “easy”: Looks similar to something called “Molasses Crinkle Rollups” which I loved to eat. Mostly molasses and sugar with very little flour, as I recall. You bake them into bubbling brown puddles, wait a few secs until the puddles set, and then attempt–the key word–to roll each around the buttered handle of a wooden spoon–while it is still piping hot from the oven, mind you.
Ten badly-burned fingers later, I had several congealed gummy-to-crisp molasses taffy-to-hard-candy pieces , depending upon how long each puddle had sat waiting for me to speak assorted French phrases (which I do not) as I awaiting the wisdom of accepting defeat.