For an afternoon of baking with children, chocolate biscuits are best treated as ready-made biscuits to decorate, serve with a chilled dessert or hand out alongside your baking. If you want to use them in the oven, follow a recipe or product-specific instructions that explicitly describe this use. Check the current packaging for ingredients and allergens for everyone taking part.
A ready-made biscuit can be laid out or crumbled for a chilled decorating activity. Check the format: Verkade describes Chocorondjes as having a chocolate topping, while ALDI describes Choceur Choco & biscuit as having a cream filling.
Check every pack used for the activity. Lotus Bakeries lists ingredients including wheat, milk and soya for its speculoos with chocolate; this ingredient information does not automatically apply to other biscuits.
Compare the number of biscuits, net weight and any individually wrapped portions. For example, ALDI lists Biscotto Chocolate Biscuits as a pack of 20, weighing 250 g, with the biscuits wrapped in pairs.
First decide whether the biscuits are for cold decorating or handing out, or whether a recipe actually uses them in the oven. Then choose the right format and check the label on the variety you’re buying.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Easy for children to help | Choose a format that works for laying out, breaking or crumbling; distinguish between a chocolate topping and a cream filling. | If children are allowed to lay out or share the biscuits themselves, I want them to be able to do so without complicated preparation. This convenience is the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack, even if it’s a familiar brand. | If someone taking part needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know which biscuits will be on the table. This check comes first for around 29% of consumers. |
| Flavour and appearance | Compare a chocolate coating, a filled biscuit and chocolate speculoos to find the flavour and format you want. | If the biscuit is going to be on show as a decoration, I want its shape and flavour to suit the dessert. Around 24% of consumers give this the highest priority. |
| Number of portions | Check the number of biscuits, net weight and any individually wrapped portions. | If several children are having a biscuit, I want to be able to check in advance that there are enough. The number of portions is the main concern for around 18% of consumers. |
Ingredients vary from product to product. Lotus Bakeries lists ingredients including wheat, milk and soya for its speculoos with chocolate; according to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergens must be listed on the label of prepacked foods.
Before the activity, read the ingredients and allergen information on every pack you use, and keep any products that someone taking part needs to avoid separate.
A description such as ‘biscuit with chocolate topping’ or ‘filled biscuit’ does not, by itself, mean it’s suitable for use in a baked recipe.
Only use the biscuit in the oven if a recipe or product-specific instructions describe that use. There’s no need to use the oven for a chilled decorating activity.
Weight and biscuit count answer different questions. ALDI lists Biscotto Chocolate Biscuits as 20 biscuits weighing 250 g; Jumbo lists Chocolade Biscuits Puur as 9 biscuits weighing 125 g.
First work out how many biscuits you need for the group, then compare the number of biscuits and net weight on the packs.
Verkade describes Chocorondjes Milk Chocolate as a crunchy biscuit topped with milk chocolate.
Lotus Bakeries states that its speculoos with chocolate contains 22% chocolate.
Albert Heijn has a chocolate biscuit category that includes a Verkade product.
Jumbo lists Chocolade Biscuits Puur as 9 biscuits weighing 125 g in total, and also sells Choco Biscuit Chocomix in a 175 g pack.
Lidl lists Sondey Choco biscuits milk as a 125 g product sold in store.
ALDI lists Biscotto Chocolate Biscuits and Choceur Choco & biscuit as different types of chocolate biscuit.
These products are well suited to an afternoon of baking as ready-made biscuits to use cold or hand out. KitKat Gold is a wafer, not a chocolate biscuit, so choose it only if a wafer would also work alongside your baking activity.
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For anyone who wants to serve chocolate biscuit sticks with a chilled dessert or at a decorating activity. The pack contains 75 g; follow a recipe or product-specific instructions if you want to use the sticks in the oven.
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A ready-made chocolate biscuit for a chilled decorating activity or to hand out alongside your baking. The pack contains 150 g; if you have dietary restrictions, check the current label, and only use the biscuits in the oven if suitable instructions say you can.
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For anyone who wants to hand out ready-made chocolate biscuits or use them cold. The pack contains 150 g; check a recipe or product-specific instructions separately to see whether using them in the oven is suitable.
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A chocolate wafer to hand out as a separate treat alongside your baking activity; it’s not the same type of product as a biscuit. The pack contains 9 pieces; check the label before giving them to anyone taking part.
Yes. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergens must be listed on the label of prepacked foods and clearly identified in the ingredients list. Check the pack you’ll actually be using for the activity.
Follow the storage instructions for the product you’ve chosen. For example, Jumbo says to keep its Choco Biscuit Chocomix in a cool, dry, dark place; don’t assume the same instructions apply to other varieties.
Count how many biscuits you want to hand out or use, then compare this with the number listed on the pack. ALDI lists Biscotto Chocolate Biscuits as 20 biscuits weighing 250 g; the net weight alone doesn’t tell you how many individual biscuits are in a pack.
