Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 2005 (SND, online supplement).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
GERMAN BISCUIT, n.comb. = Empire biscuit.Sc. 1995 Herald 12 Dec 12:
They were, they are, double biscuits which sandwich jam. They come layered with icing. Essentially, a cherry tops them. German biscuits are as they always were. During the Kaiser's war, however, they had a name change. They got redone as empire biscuits. For a time they were called imperial. Uls. 1997 Belfast Telegraph 6 Jun :
You can't help but believe him. We met in a cafe, where sweet-toothed Darren's eyes lingered longingly on the trays of iced German biscuits and cream buns.Sc. 1999 Scotsman 16 Sep 18:
... scores of uppity women had got it into their heads that they could do more for the war effort than knit bootees and bake eggless Victoria sponges and German biscuits, which we tried to remember to call Empire Biscuits and which rarely had a glace cherry on top as a result of the rationing.Sc. 2000 Edinburgh Evening News 5 Dec 17:
Top of the tree for treats was Empire biscuits, or known to me in those pre-PC days as German biscuits. ... I loved to run my razor-sharp baby teeth through the icing — after munching the glace cherry on top, of course!Sc. 2002 Scotsman 3 Jun 11:
From marmalade to porridge oats, Scotland has made consumers out of Britain's imperial subjects, adding Empire biscuits to the roll-call of greats.
A species of jam sandwich with knobs on, the Empire interleaves layers of shortbread with a seedless raspberry preserve, topping the ensemble with icing and a glace cherry.
Despite its title, the Empire's imperial lineage is short. Formerly the "German Biscuit", its name dates from war-time, when mid-European titles lost their allure at home.
