Digestive Biscuits/Cookies

Crispy, crunchy bites of cookie heaven ready to be enjoyed with your tea or as a healthy snack for any time of the day. These cookies/biscuits get their distinctive crunch from oatmeal and butter used in the dough. The texture and flavor from whole wheat flour and a dash of coconut powder added into the dough make these more healthy and scrumptious.

Digestive biscuits are the quintessential British cookie, or “biscuit” as they call it, dating back to the 19th century. It was first created by McVitie’s & Price and got the name “digestive” because of the use of baking soda in it, to aid in food digestion. It was the perfect biscuit to dunk into tea (a vital part of every Britisher’s day). I have used baking powder instead.

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

¼ cup dried coconut powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup cold unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

3 to 4 teaspoons milk

FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICING (optional):

½ cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

Crush the oatmeal in a food processor until they form finer bits

Add whole wheat flour, sugar, coconut powder and salt and process until the mixture is well blended.

Cut up cold butter into small pieces and add to this mixture.

Pulse the food processor until it forms a coarse crumbly mixture.

Add milk a teaspoon at a time until the mixture starts to come together to form a loose dough.

Remove from the processor and knead the dough, adding more milk if needed to form a dough that holds its shape.

If you do not have a food processor, you can do this in a bowl too. Just mix the dry ingredients. Add bits of cold butter and gently mix with your fingers to incorporate the butter well until it form a crumbly mixture.

Then add milk a teaspoon at time, kneading to form a dough.

Place in cling wrap and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Centigrade or 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lightly grease a baking pan or line with parchment paper and keep aside.

Remove dough from the fridge and roll out to about 3 mm thickness.

Cut into desired shapes (I have used a round cutter).

Prick with a fork to prevent the cookies from puffing up in the oven.

Place in the prepared pan and bake for about 15 minutes until light golden brown.

Remove and place them on cooling racks to cool completely.

At this stage, you can eat them as such for a healthy crunchy treat.

For a more decadent experience, you can coat some of them with melted chocolate.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave or double boiler until fully melted.

Spoon a little melted chocolate over the cookie.

Spread thinly (working from the center to the edges) and using a toothpick or skewer, draw a line vertically and then horizontally to form a pattern on the chocolate.

Place on wire racks to allow the chocolate to set.

Enjoy these healthy, crunchy, whole meal digestive biscuits or cookies, with or without chocolate, with your evening tea or coffee.

They are great pick-me-ups to enjoy any time or even as edible gifts.

Coconut adds a distinct tropical flavor to it. You can omit these if you want and add more whole wheat flour instead.

I have used very little sugar in it as I love my cookies less sweet. Feel free to add a bit more.

Instead of dark chocolate, you can use milk chocolate or even white chocolate.