Three youngsters had the ultimate sweet gig for as they posed with an empire biscuit that might just be the largest ever made.
It was the creation of Clarks the Bakers and jam-maker R&W Scott, both based in Carluke.
But the tasty creation, which measures 36 inches in diameter and weighs 15kg, should arguably be described as a Belgian biscuit.
The treat – traditionally comprising two shortbread biscuits with jam between them plus white icing and a glace cherry on top – was originally known in the UK as a Linzer Biscuit or a Deutsch Biscuit.
The outbreak of World War One prompted a renaming, with England opting for “Empire biscuit” but Scotland choosing instead to reference the recently invaded Belgium. Despite the subsequent crumbling of the British empire, the English name seems to have spread ...and stuck.
The biscuit, which took 24 hours to bake, was made ahead of the town’s Jam and Ham Festival on Saturday.
Master baker Bryan Clark said: “We make a lot of empire biscuits but none that size. But it was actually easier than we thought – we could’ve done it bigger. We’re very happy with it.”
What do you call them? Let us know in the comments below!
