Originating from the West Country,[2] they are made from flour, butter, egg yolk, baking powder, and sugar. Lightly spiced, the currant-studded soft and round biscuits have a soft, biscuity, sugary crunch. Some traditional recipes originating from the Somerset-area include Cassia oil, in the belief that it was used in the embalming process used to clean Jesus's body after his crucifixion.[3]
Most often, they are slightly bigger than traditional British biscuits, at up to 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter.