These are the best online digestive biscuits! I used 105 grams of butter and only 1 1/4cups of whole wheat flour but added 1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs (don’t know whether they are available in the UK but they’re what’s used as a cheesecake base over here in Canada). Anyhow, I also used my food processor and it did a perfect job. My resulting biscuit is wheaty and has a good snap to it. Thanks, Geoff! I appreciated your calm delivery and the measurements given in cups and grams.
Hi Helen. That's great. I am glad your biscuits turned out so well. Graham Crackers aren't generally available here, though they can be bought online at hugely inflated prices. I have made a video on making them too. I am glad you found the video, and recipe, useful.
@@geoffsbakingblog 2nd time making them and they are just out of the oven. I made them smaller this time. Thanks again they're really tasty and satisfying and, of course go with cheese too.
@@geoffsbakingblog These biscuits have made my household quite happy, given some health issues that prevented me and my loved ones from getting the store ones anymore, I had to look for a homemade recipe that could fill in and I happened to come across your video. I'd like to express my appreciation toward your easy instructions which helped me. Thank you Geoff. I will try another recipe of yours soon.
Interesting story about Digestives is that they used to market them as a digestive aid. This was tested and proved wholly innacurate and they had to remove that bit of "embelishment" from the packets. Keep up the good work Geoff. I was taught to bake as a kid and still do to this day. A useful skill when you want a treat with none of the nasty di-sodium-poisonate or other additives.
Looks very good Geoff,will be definitely be making these,also made your steak and ale pie filling last night so you probably know what’s for tea tonight,had a little taste as it was cooling and it was gorgeous 👍
HI Mark. I hope you enjoy them if you make them. The steak and ale filling is so good, just by itself, as you found out. But it is even better wrapped in the pastry.
The digestive was first developed in 1839 by two Scottish doctors to aid digestion. The term digestive is derived from the belief that they had antacid properties due to the use of sodium bicarbonate when they were first developed. Thanks for the video and happy digesting.
Very nice demo! Thank you so much from across the pond. Making these tomorrow! These aren’t easy to find in the states and are somewhat pricey when I find them. My family is from England and loves these as do I. 💕 I’ll be taking them to my moms for tea at Christmas 😋 I’m also delighted I can use my food processor! 😉 I may just add chocolate by melting chocolate chips in a plastic bag, cut the tip and squeeze it on. It will use less chocolate and less of a mess. 😉Merry Christmas Geoff!
Hi Glen. Thanks very much. I am sure the manufacturers have changed the recipe several times over the years. The own brand versions never seem quite as good as McVities.
Hi RhapsodyOfJoy. Thanks very much. A one for one substitution should be fine, though butter is only about 83% fat(in the UK), and the rest is water. So you might wish to use a little less oil to take account of that.
Hi Sharon. I bought that mat, which has marks on the other side, showing measurements, in C A Paradis in Ottawa, Canada. But I have seen similar on that well known online site.
I had to put in another comment as I just enjoy these so much... sometime I have used them as a crust in some pies as the base and it is very good for that but my favourite is simply with tea... now I can just bake off a batch myself instead of searching for a pack at an import store or buying them on line for a price equivalent to an air plain ticket.
Hi Jean. I bought the stamp kit online a few years ago, it has numbers and letters that can be inserted tp create the words etc that you want. I think there are lots of different versions available.
HI One Party Roule. I have never used gluten free flour. But a quick search informs me that if using gluten free flour you might need to add a binding agent such as xanthum gum, unless the gluten free flour already contains it, or the biscuits might be too crumbly.
Geoff you are such a good baker. The sound of the Biscuit crunching in your mouth confirms that those biscuits turned out perfect👏👍 I may give it a shot. Btw I tried the blueberry frangipani tart and it was excellent!
@@nathalienath7219 Yes, you can do all the mixing by hand, rubbing the butter into the flour, instead of using a mixer. You just need to get everything combined into a nice dough.
Can you tell me why they aren't that crunchy after they cool? It turns slightly soft after cooling. Store bought ones are very crisp but not the ones baked at home!
Hi The Della Bakery. The biscuits should stay crisp when cooled, if all the ingredients have been measured correctly. It is important, though, to let them cool completely before storing them. If they are still slightly warm when placed in an airtight container then the residual heat will soften them as condensation occurs. Another reason for them softening could be to do with the amoun of humidity in the air. If that is the case put the biscuits into the fridge, uncovered, to cool them completely and then store them.
@@geoffsbakingblog thank you! But even my shortbread butter cookies have a soft crunch to it. I thought of adding baking soda instead of baking powder! I can't understand what's going wrong! I measure my ingredients using a scale or in cups but it's the same!
@@TheDellasBakery Then I think it is likely to be the humidity that is causing the problem. You can try to reduce the liquid a little bit, that might help. Another tip that some use is to store the biscuits with a small piece of bread, so that the bread absorbs some of any moisture in the air. Another tip is to store the biscuits in a zip-lock type bag, since you can press as much air out of the bag as possible. The less air mean less moisture to be absorbed.
Hi Geoff……I can’t believe you’ve made digestives today, they’re one of my favourite biscuits, I always always have them in the house and you’re right with cheese on they’re delicious, but at the moment I can’t stop eating them with Nutella on, if you like Nutella try it it’s amazing!…..I have to say your finished biscuits look so good, another magazine worthy bake 📸….I have the same stamp as you so will definitely do that on mine……😊I can’t wait now to (thanks to you) make my own…..I feel a bit daft because I’ve baked for a long time, but generally only use plain flour most of all, is Wholemeal flour the same as Wholewheat flour? …..thanks Geoff, for another brilliant tutorial…..love Jan xxxxxx
Hi Jan. I do like Nutella, so I might try that at some time. In the UK wholemeal flour is, as one manufacturer claims, flour with 'nowt tekken owt'. In some places it is also known as wholewheat flour, though whether the processing is the same I am not sure. But I think wholewheat flour would work fine in these.
Anyone that can make cookies like that got my vote.i could never do a good cookie especially the tea biscuit and i dont know if my choice to use oil is a problem
@@manuelalmendarez2232 No I haven't used oil. However maybe you are working the dough too much. That will make the biscuits harder. Maybe also adjust the baking time a little. Maybe your oven runs hotter and they bake a little too much.
I remember McVitie's digestives from my childhood. I was just never able to like either the taste or the texture, even as my parents and, well, it seemed like everyone else simply loved them. Even the ones with dark chocolate on one side I found to be unpalatable, and I love dark chocolate. It's a bit odd, 'cos I can't really explain it, since I usually like wholemeal and not overly sweet baked goods generally. Interesting how seeing these biscuits (the real deal, visually. Well done Geoff!) brought back so many memories. Like for example, one of the other things that others ate and loved (this was post WW2 Lancashire), but which I could never manage to stomach, was tinned fruit for dessert accompanied by bread and butter. So gross!! The human palate can be fascinating, can't it? So many people love these things (Graham crackers is what they're called here in the US), whereas even their scent is mildly nauseating to me. I recall you saying, Geoff, that you don't like cooked cheese, whereas I would cheerfully enjoy it on almost anything (except digestive biscuits LOL) if I didn't care a fig about my arteries! The Hispanic folks around here have a lovely saying (dicho) relating to this phenomenon :- "Cada chango a su columpio." Literally; "Each monkey to his swing." Anyway, as always, I do enjoy your videos. Happy New Year!!
HI David. Yes we all have different likes and dislikes as far as food is concerned. But I have noticed a phenomenon hereto unrecorded. As I have aged my palate has changed too. So, having lived over 65 years old unable to eat cooked cheese I now find that I can eat it and enjoy it. The same with celery, I could never stomach it but love it now. Olives too have now entered into my dietary considerations when I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.. The only things that I have never liked and still cannot stomach is oily fish and coffee. I think the change is definitely age related.
Hi Sam. The biscuits should be crunchy if the oven was at the correct temperature and you measured the ingredients as detailed in the recipe, and you baked them for long enough.
Our attention is fully focused on this uncle Geoff....uncle Percy wrote to mcvitees complaining how the taste was minimised with reduction of butter ..old days you would have a little residue of as you say oil ..we are serious digestive eaters ..glass of milk and three digestives for me at bedtime ..uncle Percy gets milk and 4 digestives as odd numbers doesn't appeal to him ...sir Barney gets two digestives with butter inside ... Now we have a chance to do our own with following uncle Geoff
These are the best online digestive biscuits! I used 105 grams of butter and only 1 1/4cups of whole wheat flour but added 1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs (don’t know whether they are available in the UK but they’re what’s used as a cheesecake base over here in Canada). Anyhow, I also used my food processor and it did a perfect job. My resulting biscuit is wheaty and has a good snap to it. Thanks, Geoff! I appreciated your calm delivery and the measurements given in cups and grams.
Hi Helen. That's great. I am glad your biscuits turned out so well. Graham Crackers aren't generally available here, though they can be bought online at hugely inflated prices. I have made a video on making them too. I am glad you found the video, and recipe, useful.
Thanks
Those look just like the ones from the store! Good job Geoff, and it didn't look too difficult. Thank you!
Hi Timothy. Thanks very much.
These worked out beautifully and no palm oil. Thank you.
Hi Anna, That's great. I am glad the recipe worked for you.
@@geoffsbakingblog 2nd time making them and they are just out of the oven. I made them smaller this time. Thanks again they're really tasty and satisfying and, of course go with cheese too.
@@annmariebudyn Oh yes they go well with cheese.
Those are hard for me to get here where I live so thank you so much as I enjoy them so much!
Hi Julie-joy. You are very welcome.
Made this today, awessome result in first try , that never happens to me , so delicious and crunchy, thanks you.
Hi Banglay Knitting. That's great. I am glad you enjoy them.
I made these at the weekend. So good! Gone in a day. Will definitely make them again!!!!!!
Hi Yvonne. That's great. I am so glad you enjoyed them. They are very moreish indeed.
Thank you! It turned out to be fantastic
Hi Love. I am truly overwhelmed at your generosity. Thank you so much. What a lovely surprise to wake up to. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe.
@@geoffsbakingblog These biscuits have made my household quite happy, given some health issues that prevented me and my loved ones from getting the store ones anymore, I had to look for a homemade recipe that could fill in and I happened to come across your video. I'd like to express my appreciation toward your easy instructions which helped me. Thank you Geoff. I will try another recipe of yours soon.
@@love44215 Oh I am so glad those in your house enjoyed them. I do hope you find some more recipes to try too.
Interesting story about Digestives is that they used to market them as a digestive aid. This was tested and proved wholly innacurate and they had to remove that bit of "embelishment" from the packets. Keep up the good work Geoff. I was taught to bake as a kid and still do to this day. A useful skill when you want a treat with none of the nasty di-sodium-poisonate or other additives.
Hi Cornz38. Yes the original suggestion that they aided digestion was not accurate, though it probably aided sales at the time.
I only recently found out they're Scottish. You'd think the Scotts would shout about it more. I would.
Thanks for this recipe Geoff there my favorite biscuit too !
Hi Lorraine. You are very welcome.
I love them with a coat of butter spread on them! Thanks for this Geoff, Digestive has always been my favourite.
Hi Marshall. I enjoy the commercial ones with a smear of butter and a thin slice of cheddar. Very good indeed.
Thanks for sharing Geoff. Absolutely awesome 😎😋
Hi Barbara. Thanks. You are very welcome.
Hi geoff nice to see you again
Omg that digestive biscuit is my fave of all
Am not kidding🥰🥰🥰
Hi Maeflor Ogario. They are my favourite biscuit too.
Wonderful. Thank you Geoff🙏🏻 Lovely dunked in a nice cup of tea 🙋🏻♂
Hi Elijah. Thanks. Yes they are great dunked in tea.
Looks very good Geoff,will be definitely be making these,also made your steak and ale pie filling last night so you probably know what’s for tea tonight,had a little taste as it was cooling and it was gorgeous 👍
HI Mark. I hope you enjoy them if you make them. The steak and ale filling is so good, just by itself, as you found out. But it is even better wrapped in the pastry.
Perfect
HI Wilson. Thanks.
Very clear to understand that type of English 😀❤❤❤❤❤
Glad to hear that
I just knew you would have something to put the word digestive on them . Nothing escapes uncle Geoff
Hi Hugh and Sir Barney. I do what I can, LOL.
The digestive was first developed in 1839 by two Scottish doctors to aid digestion. The term digestive is derived from the belief that they had antacid properties due to the use of sodium bicarbonate when they were first developed. Thanks for the video and happy digesting.
I am investing in digesting, instead of anticipating constipating.
Very nice demo! Thank you so much from across the pond. Making these tomorrow! These aren’t easy to find in the states and are somewhat pricey when I find them. My family is from England and loves these as do I. 💕 I’ll be taking them to my moms for tea at Christmas 😋 I’m also delighted I can use my food processor! 😉 I may just add chocolate by melting chocolate chips in a plastic bag, cut the tip and squeeze it on. It will use less chocolate and less of a mess. 😉Merry Christmas Geoff!
HI LavenderPatch. Thanks very much. I hope your mom enjoys them.
Today ive try was very good ❤
Hi N 1k That's great. I am glad you enjoyed them.
Love the video thanks
HI R Murray, Thanks very much.
Thank you for sharing, I will try to make it. :-)
Hi JC Elphick. I hope you enjoy them.
Very nice biscuits geoff, the ones you can buy seem dryer than they used to be
Hi Glen. Thanks very much. I am sure the manufacturers have changed the recipe several times over the years. The own brand versions never seem quite as good as McVities.
Great recipe, as always, Geoff! If I wanted to use oil instead of butter would it be a one for one substitution? Any thoughts on that?
Hi RhapsodyOfJoy. Thanks very much. A one for one substitution should be fine, though butter is only about 83% fat(in the UK), and the rest is water. So you might wish to use a little less oil to take account of that.
Love this accent🤗❤
Thank you! 😃
Hi geoff where did you get the mat you used for rolling
Hi Sharon. I bought that mat, which has marks on the other side, showing measurements, in C A Paradis in Ottawa, Canada. But I have seen similar on that well known online site.
Hi Geoff iam gona make these now, hope they turn out as good as yours !
Hi Lorraine. I hope you enjoy them.
I had to put in another comment as I just enjoy these so much... sometime I have used them as a crust in some pies as the base and it is very good for that but my favourite is simply with tea... now I can just bake off a batch myself instead of searching for a pack at an import store or buying them on line for a price equivalent to an air plain ticket.
Hi Julie-joy. They do make a very good base for a pie or a cheesecake, similar to Graham crackers.
New sub here. This is better than the BeRo book 😄Thank you.
HI Josie. Welcome to the channel. Thanks very much.
Simply explained and well presented. Thank you. I note you suggest chocolate on the top. I prefer chocolate on the bottom... ha ha... 🙃
HI Stephen. Thanks very much. I now always look where I am sitting, since the occurrence of chocolate on the bottom.
Hi Geoff, the biscuits look and sound very nice. Where did you find the stamp? Thanks, Jean.
Hi Jean. I bought the stamp kit online a few years ago, it has numbers and letters that can be inserted tp create the words etc that you want. I think there are lots of different versions available.
Can you use gluten free for this? Would it effect the texture much do you think?
HI One Party Roule. I have never used gluten free flour. But a quick search informs me that if using gluten free flour you might need to add a binding agent such as xanthum gum, unless the gluten free flour already contains it, or the biscuits might be too crumbly.
@@geoffsbakingblog Hey thanks for this. I’m going to try making them for my mum with normal flour first. She tolerates the gluten better than me!
@@onepartyroule I hope your mum enjoys them.
Geoff you are such a good baker. The sound of the Biscuit crunching in your mouth confirms that those biscuits turned out perfect👏👍 I may give it a shot. Btw I tried the blueberry frangipani tart and it was excellent!
Hi Jacintha, thanks very much. I am glad you enjoyed the blueberry frangipane tart too.
Would it change the taste if I use oat milk instead of dairy milk?
Hi Sensimania. I think it might change the flavour, but not significantly.
@@geoffsbakingblog Great! Thanks for responding! 🙏
Where did you buy the digestive's word?😮
It is a little tool, a strip of plastic that you insert letters into to make words that you then press into the dough. I bought mine on amazon.
@@geoffsbakingblog good thank you very much .
Cant we do with a batter instead?
Hi N 1k. I am afraid I don't understand what you are asking.
Sorry for this word😊 as english is my 3rd language.
I meant crushed all the ingredients instead of mixing up to a sand.
@@nathalienath7219 Yes, you can do all the mixing by hand, rubbing the butter into the flour, instead of using a mixer. You just need to get everything combined into a nice dough.
Thank you 😊@@geoffsbakingblog
My husband loves Digestive biscuits but says there not as good as they used to be. I'm going to make these and see what he thinks. Thanks 😊
Hi Yvonne. I hope you husband enjoys them. I do think the commercial digestives have changed over the years.
Can you tell me why they aren't that crunchy after they cool? It turns slightly soft after cooling. Store bought ones are very crisp but not the ones baked at home!
Hi The Della Bakery. The biscuits should stay crisp when cooled, if all the ingredients have been measured correctly. It is important, though, to let them cool completely before storing them. If they are still slightly warm when placed in an airtight container then the residual heat will soften them as condensation occurs. Another reason for them softening could be to do with the amoun of humidity in the air. If that is the case put the biscuits into the fridge, uncovered, to cool them completely and then store them.
@@geoffsbakingblog thank you! But even my shortbread butter cookies have a soft crunch to it. I thought of adding baking soda instead of baking powder! I can't understand what's going wrong! I measure my ingredients using a scale or in cups but it's the same!
@@TheDellasBakery Then I think it is likely to be the humidity that is causing the problem. You can try to reduce the liquid a little bit, that might help. Another tip that some use is to store the biscuits with a small piece of bread, so that the bread absorbs some of any moisture in the air. Another tip is to store the biscuits in a zip-lock type bag, since you can press as much air out of the bag as possible. The less air mean less moisture to be absorbed.
@@geoffsbakingblog thank you Sir! I hope to get the desired results!
Just trying these now , hope they turn out as good as yours :)
Hi Love Aviation. I hope you enjoy them.
@@geoffsbakingblog i will do thank you
I made this recipe for the first time and we love it sooo much. Thank you for this recipe, now I don't have to buy digestive 😂
Hi Chita Rahardjo. That's great. I am so pleased that you enjoyed the biscuits.
@@geoffsbakingblog very much ❤️. Subscribing to your channel now so I can try other recipes 🤭.
@@chitarahardjo6525 Thanks, I hope you find lots of recipe to try.
Hi Geoff……I can’t believe you’ve made digestives today, they’re one of my favourite biscuits, I always always have them in the house and you’re right with cheese on they’re delicious, but at the moment I can’t stop eating them with Nutella on, if you like Nutella try it it’s amazing!…..I have to say your finished biscuits look so good, another magazine worthy bake 📸….I have the same stamp as you so will definitely do that on mine……😊I can’t wait now to (thanks to you) make my own…..I feel a bit daft because I’ve baked for a long time, but generally only use plain flour most of all, is Wholemeal flour the same as Wholewheat flour? …..thanks Geoff, for another brilliant tutorial…..love Jan xxxxxx
Hi Jan. I do like Nutella, so I might try that at some time. In the UK wholemeal flour is, as one manufacturer claims, flour with 'nowt tekken owt'. In some places it is also known as wholewheat flour, though whether the processing is the same I am not sure. But I think wholewheat flour would work fine in these.
Hi Geoff, ha ha I remember the ‘nowt tekken owt’ 😊…..thanks so much for your advice and getting back to me x💕x
Anyone that can make cookies like that got my vote.i could never do a good cookie especially the tea biscuit and i dont know if my choice to use oil is a problem
Hi Manuel. Thanks. I don't think using oil, instead of butter, should make much difference to how the biscuits bake.
They always come out hard instead of that light crumbly texture.have you ever done it with oil?
@@manuelalmendarez2232 No I haven't used oil. However maybe you are working the dough too much. That will make the biscuits harder. Maybe also adjust the baking time a little. Maybe your oven runs hotter and they bake a little too much.
I remember McVitie's digestives from my childhood. I was just never able to like either the taste or the texture, even as my parents and, well, it seemed like everyone else simply loved them. Even the ones with dark chocolate on one side I found to be unpalatable, and I love dark chocolate. It's a bit odd, 'cos I can't really explain it, since I usually like wholemeal and not overly sweet baked goods generally.
Interesting how seeing these biscuits (the real deal, visually. Well done Geoff!) brought back so many memories. Like for example, one of the other things that others ate and loved (this was post WW2 Lancashire), but which I could never manage to stomach, was tinned fruit for dessert accompanied by bread and butter. So gross!!
The human palate can be fascinating, can't it? So many people love these things (Graham crackers is what they're called here in the US), whereas even their scent is mildly nauseating to me. I recall you saying, Geoff, that you don't like cooked cheese, whereas I would cheerfully enjoy it on almost anything (except digestive biscuits LOL) if I didn't care a fig about my arteries!
The Hispanic folks around here have a lovely saying (dicho) relating to this phenomenon :- "Cada chango a su columpio." Literally; "Each monkey to his swing."
Anyway, as always, I do enjoy your videos. Happy New Year!!
HI David. Yes we all have different likes and dislikes as far as food is concerned. But I have noticed a phenomenon hereto unrecorded. As I have aged my palate has changed too. So, having lived over 65 years old unable to eat cooked cheese I now find that I can eat it and enjoy it. The same with celery, I could never stomach it but love it now. Olives too have now entered into my dietary considerations when I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.. The only things that I have never liked and still cannot stomach is oily fish and coffee. I think the change is definitely age related.
Mine wasnt crunchy at all why was that?
Hi Sam. The biscuits should be crunchy if the oven was at the correct temperature and you measured the ingredients as detailed in the recipe, and you baked them for long enough.
Miam😊
Our attention is fully focused on this uncle Geoff....uncle Percy wrote to mcvitees complaining how the taste was minimised with reduction of butter ..old days you would have a little residue of as you say oil ..we are serious digestive eaters ..glass of milk and three digestives for me at bedtime ..uncle Percy gets milk and 4 digestives as odd numbers doesn't appeal to him ...sir Barney gets two digestives with butter inside ... Now we have a chance to do our own with following uncle Geoff
HI Hugh & Sir Barney. I think almost everyone enjoys a nice digestive, though for me only with tea.
We SHOULD be encouraging people to use natural fat, like butter, instead of the processed axle grease masquerading as butter.
Yeah, we don't want palm oil.... Butter is always best
Hi Kat7. I do like a bit of butter.