How To Make Blackcurrant & Cream Brandy Snap Boats

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These Rich and delicious Blackcurrant & Cream Brandy Snap boats are so easy to make and incredibly moorish! Baked in just 8 minutes these quick bitesize treats are real crowd pleasers, perfect for serving at parties.

What are Brandy Snaps?

Brandy snaps are basically delicate lace wafer like biscuits made with a mixture of golden syrup, flour, ginger, cream, sugar, butter and lemon juice. Traditionally they are shaped into tubes but I wanted a more generous filling than any Brandy Snap tube could handle! So, I made Boats!

Is there Brandy in Brandy Snaps?

Due to the name, you may be of the thinking that Brandy is the main ingredient in these ‘Brandy Snaps’ but you’d be wrong! I certainly was! Before I made my first batch, many years ago, I was all geared up for a boozy desert only to realise it was a Cruel trick! A cruel trick indeed! Apologies, there will be no tipsy Brandy Snaps on the blog today!

The reason their called Brandy Snaps is thanks to the Victorians. The Victorians referred to the bake as brand-schnap, an old English etymology which meant “burnt.” The ‘Schnap’, came from the satisfying sound it made when you devoured it, ‘Snap!’ It unfortunately had nothing to do with Brandy.

When were Brandy Snaps first invented?

The First Recorded mention of Brandy Snaps was in Herefordshire at a county fair in the early 1900s, 1854 to be exact. They were at first served flat and affectionately known as Jumbles, but they soon evolved and became tube like biscuits, created by wrapping a warm Snap around the handle of a wooden spoon.

As time has moved on, so have snaps! They now come in all shapes and sizes, yet still retain one original feature…they are delicious!

How to Make Blackcurrant and Cream Brandy Snap Boats

(As always the full detailed recipe and Video can be found at the end of the post on the Recipe card)

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter
• Golden Syrup
• Demerara sugar
• Plain flour
• Ginger
• Lemon

Filling

• Double Cream
• Vanilla Extract
• Tbsp Icing Sugar
• Soft Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Blackcurrant Jam

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 160°c

• Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup together in a large saucepan on a low heat.When the sugar has totally dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes.

• Stir in the flour, ground ginger and lemon juice, stir well.

• Drop teaspoon size blobs on a lined baking tray. Leaving plenty of room between each ( See video)

• Bake for 8 minutes.

• Let the snaps sit for a few moments ( 20 seconds should do it) then lift and drape over a lightly buttered rolling pin, leave until hardened, (around 2 minutes)

• Whip the icing Sugar, Double Cream and Vanilla until thickened.

• In a bowl mix together the brown sugar and Cinnamon.

• Melt a handful of milk chocolate squares in the microwave for around 30 seconds until melted

• Fill the boats with cream, a dollop of Blackcurrant Jam, sprinkle with the Cinnamon sugar mix & drizzle with melted Milk Chocolate

Tips for a Successful Batch Of Brandy Snaps

• Give them room! They love to spread, give each dollop of batter ample room to grow
• Don’t dawdle- When the Brandy Snaps first come out of the oven, give them a few seconds to cool, but not too long, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, drape them over the Rolling pin to harden.
• Bake in Smaller Batches, spread over 2 trays. Drape one batch over the Rolling pin as the other batch Bakes.

How long will Brandy Snaps Keep?

Brandy Snaps will keep for 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature (without filling)

What You’ll need

• Rolling Pin– I used a Non Stick Rolling pin

• Baking Tray

• Baking Tray Liner – I use reusable ones, but regular paper lining paper will work just fine

• Pan

• Wooden spoon

Did you make this Recipe?

If so, Please leave a rating and comment below, I would love to know what you thought. Did you take a Picture? Great! Tag me on Instagram, I love to share your creations on my stories.