Jammie Dodgers facts and cake molds

The Jammie Dodger is the breaking bad of the biscuit world. What’s its dodgy history?

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Now I’m going to be honest here. The Jammie Dodger isn’t my favourite biscuit. I feel it fails the dunking test, as the biscuit stays hard and the jam is always a bit too sticky. There again, what do I know? Plenty of people disagree, with the Jammie Dodger remaining one of the most popular children’s biscuits after 60 years in production.

For those who don’t know, it’s basically two pieces of circular shortbread sandwiching some sticky raspberry jam. Well not quite jam, but a jam like chemical that sticks the biscuits together like glue. There’s no custard cream or Oreo game of two halves here.

Invented in Wales in the 1960s, the biscuits were made originally by Burton Biscuits. There have been several incarnations and spin-offs, notably the Choccie and Toffee Dodgers, but these newbies have never quite hit the heights of the original.

Comic sense for naming the Jammie Dodger

The Jammie Dodger got its name from Rodger the Dodger in the Beano comic. Rodger the Dodger, or Rodger Dawson to give him his real name, spends his life trying to get out of doing chores and homework. He’s been failing on that score since 1953, showing how if it’s not broken, it doesn’t need fixing.

Jammie Dodgers were named after Rodger the Dodger from the Beano
He’s eating a donut, but Jammie Dodgers are his thing

‘Jammie’ apparently comes from the UK slang word ‘Jammy’ for luck, although the official biscuit is spelt with the ‘ie’ rather than ‘y’. Not at a lot of people know that, but then it’s not going to change the world.

In 2009, Jammie Dodgers were the most popular children’s sweet biscuit brand in the United Kingdom (although 40% of the year’s sales were consumed by adults. Maybe the filled in the form. “yeah, my kids eat them all the time…”).

More interestingly they featured in Dr Who (Matt Smith, s5), where one was used to battle the Daleks as a Tardis self destruction tool, or at least until it went into Matt Smith’s mouth.

Blue Dalek : Scan reveals nothing! TARDIS self-destruct device non-existent!

The Doctor [takes a bite out of the purported self-destruct device]  … it’s a Jammie Dodger, but I was promised tea!

There’s nothing like being promised tea and not getting it.

Want to bake a Jammie Dodger cake?

The Jammie Dodger is the breaking bad of the biscuit world. What's its dodgy history? 1
Giant Jammie Dodger cakes

If you fancy making a giant Jammie Dodger cake, then use a Moldyfun’s giant silicone cake mold, also available on Amazon.


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Gary Davis
Gary Davis
3 months ago

I’ve one comment to make.
CHOCOLATE HOB NOBS RULE!