THE MOUNTAIN COTTAGE KITCHEN
British Digestive Biscuits
Servings 24 biscuits
Calories 90kcal
Ingredients
- 170 g whole wheat flour (1⅓ cups + 1 tablespoon)
- 80 g all-purpose flour (⅔ cup)
- 60 g granulated sugar (¼ cup + 2½ teaspoons)
- 135 g unsalted butter cold and cubed (½ cup + 1½ tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 60 ml 2% milk (¼ cup)
Optional Chocolate Topping
- 130 g chopped milk chocolate for half the batch (about ¾ cup)
- Or 260 g chopped milk chocolate for the full batch (about 1½ cups)
Equipment
- Kitchen scale optional, but recommended
- Rolling Pin
- 2½-inch round biscuit/cookie cutter
- Large sheet pans
- Wire cooling rack
Method
- Preheat the oven to 365°F conventional. Line large sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the cold cubed butter. Rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Pour in the milk and stir until the mixture begins to clump together.
- Gently press the mixture together with your hands to form a dough. Do not knead. The dough should be firm and cohesive rather than sticky.
- Flatten the dough into a disc, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper to approximately 4 mm thick.
- Cut into rounds about 2½ inches / 6 cm wide. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared sheet pan.
- Prick each biscuit several times with a fork.
- Chill the cut biscuits for another 10 minutes.
- Bake for 13–17 minutes, beginning to check at 13 minutes. The biscuits should be evenly golden with slightly darker edges.
- Leave them on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They will become crisper as they cool.
Optional Chocolate Topping
- For milk chocolate digestives, melt the chocolate and coat one side of each cooled biscuit. Place chocolate-side up on parchment and leave until completely set.
Notes
Kitchen scale: For the most consistent results, use the gram measurements where possible, especially for the flour, sugar, and butter. Cup measurements can vary depending on how ingredients are measured.
Altitude: This recipe was developed at approximately 8,600 feet. At substantially lower elevations, bake at around 350°F, beginning to check around 14–16 minutes. Bake until evenly golden and crisp.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 7–10 days for the best crisp texture. They should remain good for up to about 2 weeks. They can also be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Chocolate: A thick milk chocolate coating adds approximately 55 kcal per biscuit, bringing each chocolate digestive to around 145 kcal.
