If you’ve ever been to Europe, or wandered through the aisles of World Market, chances are you have stumbled upon digestive biscuits.  And for those not familiar, digestive biscuits are a delightful cookie made from wholemeal flour and oats, and are the perfect vehicle for dipping in a cup of tea.  So for Valentine’s Day this year, I decided to make the Englishman Homemade Digestive Biscuits.

Truth be told, this post was supposed to go up on Valentine’s Day, but between work, wedding planning, and just life in general that didn’t happen.  So this is your post-Valentine’s Day treat.

Whenever I used to visit the Englishman in London, I’d always insist we get a pack of McVittie’s Digestives (usually the chocolate ones) and we’d dip them in a cup of tea for an afternoon snack.  Digestive biscuits are generally less sweeter than the traditional American cookie, and have a bit more of a hearty texture to them overall.  When I decided to make my own digestive biscuits, my goal was to keep the texture and flavor of the biscuit as close to the original as possible.

The beauty of this recipe is that it requires minimal ingredients, is easy to make, and can even be made vegan if you swap the butter for a dairy-free alternative like coconut oil.

Homemade Digestive Biscuits (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup oats (I used quick oats)

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 tbsp almond milk

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Combine all of your ingredients in a large bowl and mix together either using a hand or stand mixer.  Once all the ingredients are well blended, remove your dough and wrap in saran wrap and place in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Remove your dough from the fridge and begin to roll out.  The traditional digestive biscuit is cut into circular shapes, but because I was feeling festive for Valentine’s Day, I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter instead.

Place your biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment and pop into the oven for 15 minutes, or until the tops are a nice golden brown.

Pull your biscuits from the oven and let them cool.  If you are feeling fancy you can spread some jam or even chocolate peanut butter on your biscuits.

I found these biscuits to be the perfect afternoon snack (with a cup of tea of course) while I was laid up on the couch all day Sunday after being hit by a cyclist while running.  Like I said, it’s been a week.  Thank goodness for my awesome fiancée and this Lionel Richie mug.

Needless to say, you need these homemade digestive biscuits in your life.  They truly are the perfect pick me up.

Who else has tried digestive biscuits before?