Are American Biscuits And British Scones The Same Thing?

Many people from both the UK and Australia travelling to the US for the first time are bound to encounter differences in the cuisine. Some of those things cause confusion because, even though the name might be the same, the item is completely different from what they're used to back home. Scones in America, for example, are usually triangle shaped, sometimes have icing, and the taste and texture is more akin to a British rock cake than what someone from over the pond recognizes as a scone.

The only real certainty is that most people will tell you there are differences — but what those differences are seems to vary. Cornish Hampers says British scones contain more "sugar and fat" than their American counterpart. All Recipes says "the key variance is in ratios and mix-ins" within the ingredients list. Eating Well says the ingredient that differs is "eggs. Scones have them, biscuits don't." What's more, is that the addition of eggs seems to be a modern addition to the scone recipe which isn't used in traditional recipes.

On viewing an American biscuit and a British scone side-by-side, you might think they're the same thing with the major difference being how and what they're served with in either country. American biscuits are more traditionally savory and served as a side with items like chicken and gravy. British scones are traditionally served with jam and cream and eaten at afternoon tea. However, whether they're the same things or not has caused some heated debates on social media. 

On the subreddit, Today I Learned, one poster summed the confusion up nicely. @ryoujishiki said, "A British biscuit is an American cookie and an American cookie is a British cookie and an American biscuit is a British scone and an American scone is something else entirely." 

While some people are quite adamant that American biscuits and British scones are very different, others believe the differences are more subtle. Some say that British scones are sweeter. One Reddit user said, "I have never met a European who understood what an American biscuit is until they've had one. It's nothing like a scone." Another argued, "Scones are similar, but not quite. The scones I've had have been considerably more durable and dense. Biscuits aren't very good cooled all the way down to room temperature (but reheat nicely), but scones are just fine." However, as someone else pointed out, "That's the problem with these comparisons — you need someone who has had, say, homemade scones from a mother who has experience in both types. I've had both versions done badly but can count on one hand having perfect versions of each."

With all these disagreements between both professional bakers and the general public alike, how is it possible to know the correct answer? There are a lot of recipe variations between British scones and American biscuits today, so perhaps it's best to compare some older, more traditional recipes of each and see where the differences are.

Back in Victorian England, one of the very first books on household management and cookery was published in 1861 by Isabella Beeton. "Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management" contained over 2,000 recipes and instructions on running a successful home. She also published a women's magazine and the original book, also known as "Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book" was reprinted many times. Good Old Fashioned Recipes recreated her recipe from a 1925 version of the book and the ingredients include "1lb of flour, 1oz sugar, 2oz. of butter or fat, 2 teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar, 1 teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda, ½ teaspoonful of salt, ½ pint of milk."

A 1914 recipe for a prize-winning biscuit recipe by "Mrs. Mason" contained 1-quart flour, one teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of baking powder, one tablespoon each of butter and lard, or all butter or all lard, one pint of sweet milk (unprocessed milk). Between these two recipes, the ingredients are very similar. So, perhaps it's the preparation and cooking that makes a difference? Both include rubbing the fat into the flour and then mixing it in the milk. Both include similar cook times and temperatures (when converted to modern oven standards). Therefore, it seems the original basic British Scone and American biscuit were definitely similar. They're both a bread-like base to eat with different toppings and while people may not agree on what — if any — differences there are, we can all agree both versions are delicious.