I know, I said last night would be the last post for the weekend, but we aren't leaving until this afternoon. One of my favorite treats is McVitie's Digestives. These are delicious tea biscuits that can be bought in England (and I'm pretty sure other places in Europe). However, they are not available (at least easily) in the states. So, I have been trying to recreate this wonderful, slightly sweet and flaky treat.The first recipe I tried was okay but not crisp enough. I just wasn't satisfied. So, last night when I got home from church, I decided to try to make my own recipe. Since I have some wheat germ, I decided that it might be a good thing to add. I don't know if that's what made the difference, but these are definitely CLOSER to what I was looking for. They are a little crisper and not quite that light flakiness of McVities, but I'm pleased. If I can't get McVities, these will suffice. They would be great with coffee or, if you like it, hot tea, maybe even some Earl Grey!
"Digestives"1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) butter (at room temperature or slightly softened)
5 Tablespoons brown sugar
7 Tablespoons whole wheat flour, divided
2 Tablespoons wheat germ
2 Tablespoons oatmeal
3 Tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wash your hands, as you will be using them for your mixers! Combine butter and sugar with hands. Add 4 Tablespoons flour, wheat germ, and oatmeal. Mix with fingers until stiff. Add milk and remaining
flour. Place on floured parchment paper, roll until 1/8 inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter (I used a 1/4 cup, as I don't have a biscuit cutter!) to cut rounds. Place on baking sheet or stone. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cook on baking sheet. DO NOT EAT until cooled or they won't be crisp.NOTE: The pictures are from the FIRST recipe, not the posted recipe; however, they look the same.
Thanks, Lizabeth! It's fun to try, but more often than not, at least for me, the first few times don't work! Just have to keep trying. I'm probably going to tweak this recipe when I make it again, but I think it's a good base. The second time I taste them (today) they were better.
ReplyDeleteThose look like something I would like. Why do they call them digestives? Do they aid in digestion? If so, what a great reason to eat cookies after dinner ;)
ReplyDeleteAnnie - The McVities people say they are called "digestives" because they are easy to digest. Lots of whole wheat. ANyway, if you ever get a chance to try McVities, do it! They are great.
ReplyDeleteClaire, Just a thought on the crispiness issue... Since I've never had them, I don't know about the texture, but maybe if you try grinding the oatmeal into a fine flour it may help.
ReplyDeleteWow. I had assumed that there would be some kind of obscure alchemy behind digestive biscuits (I love them, too) -- I'm very pleasantly suprised at how easy these look to make.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the recipe!
Actually...you can buy McVities digestives online. Ive been buying these cookies and McVities shortbread from www.spicyusa.com. Their prices are fair, and they deliver to me pretty quickly. They have lots of British items for that matter. Hope this helps!
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