Brandy snaps facts for kids
Packaged brandy snaps
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| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
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| Main ingredients | golden syrup, flour, ginger, cream, sugar, butter |
| Variations | Brandy baskets |
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.
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.
"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 at its Bridge End Works in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
