When I think of biscuits, my first thought goes to my Gran’s treat box she’d keep on top of the fridge and how it overflowed with McVitie’s as one of her friends worked in the factory in Stockport, home to the Jaffa Cake and the digestive amongst others. With Manchester noted as the ‘biscuit capital of the Britain’ it’s no shock we have one of the biggest brands in Europe manufacturing right here on our doorstep, so I thought I’d share an updated digestive recipe which is super simple to follow and it’s also easily adaptable if you’re Vegan.
BISCUIT WEEK: The Digestive Biscuit Update
Difficulty level: Easy
Total time: 1 hour
Techniques learned: biscuit dough
Serving size: 10-15 biscuits
Ingredients…
75g cold butter (Vegan alternative if preferred)
100g wholemeal plain flour
65g blended oats (I used Tree of Life Organic)
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
35g soft brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons of milk (oat milk works well)
Optional extras: milk chocolate, white chocolate, pistachios, dried fruits (I used Tree of Life goji berries and golden berries) you could literally use anything!
Equipment…
Large mixing bowl
Cling film
Rolling pin
Greaseproof paper
X2 baking trays
6cm cookie cutter or a martini glass can be used
Method…
1. Take the large bowl and mix the butter, flour and oats. Using your fingertips, scrunch up the mixture to create a fine breadcrumb like consistency
2. Add in the bicarbonate of soda, sugar and mix until fully combined. Add the milk and combine the dough using your hands. Don’t add too much milk, the dough should be stiff and stick together but not to your hands or the surface
3. Roll the dough in your hands to form a ball and sandwich this between two pieces of cling film. Using the rolling pin, roll this out to around 1cm in thickness and place in the fridge for around 30 minutes to chill.
4. Remove the dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface. Using the cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as you can, placing them on a lined baking tray as you go. Keep combining the leftover dough, making sure to roll this back out between the cling film as it’ll just stick to the worktop if not. Make sure to use all the dough so nothing goes to waste.
5. Put the biscuits back in the fridge to chill for around 20 minutes whilst the oven pre-heats at 170 degrees
6. Bake for around 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown
7. Once cooled, remove the biscuits and place on a wire rack. Now you can either enjoy the biscuits as they are, or if you’re feeling up to it you can start decorating.
8. Melt both the white and milk chocolate separately, crush the pistachios and cut up the dried fruit. Using a variety of designs, decorate your biscuits as you like – you can literally add anything to them, trust me it’ll only enhance the biscuit flavour!
Store in an airtight container, they should keep for a few weeks – that’s if you don’t eat them all in a few days like we did…
Hit us up if you try this recipe, I’d love to see your posts on Instagram! Tag @thefoodrubiks and @mcrfinest in your pictures.
Stay tuned for more bakes and cakes over the coming weeks…
