Tuesday, 10 July 2012

Chocolate Digestive Biscuits


Mmm, biscuits. I love biscuits. A chocolate digestive is one of my favourites, preferably eaten with a cup of tea. Or a glass of milk. Apparently the "digestive" description comes from the antacid properties in the bicarb of soda in the recipe. A tenuous link, really. I don't think they do anything particularly good for your digestive system. A lot of them will make your fat, that's for sure.


Chocolate digestives are a very typical, everyday type of British biscuit. Part of the British biscuit canon, if you will. Along with gingernuts, shortbread, rich tea, fig rolls. Garibaldi. What else? What have I forgotten?


The recipe is from Peyton and Byrne: British Baking, a book that is quickly becoming a favourite go-to book for baking recipes. It has a whole chapter devoted to the mighty biscuit including how to make your own Tunnock's Teacake (a biscuit base, topped with gooey marshmallow then covered in melted chocolate...*swoon*...).


They were easy to make and very easy to eat. I think after carefully taste testing the milk, dark and white chocolate toppings, I can conclude that the milk chocolate digestive is my favourite. What about you? Do you have a favourite biscuit or cookie to go with your mid-morning coffee or afternoon cup or tea? Please say it's not just me.

48 comments:

  1. OH. MY. GOODNESS. I just happened to pop by and I see this post. Great pics. I'm making these tomorrow. And no, it most definitely isn't just you.

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    1. Hello, nice to meet you! I'm glad I am not alone with my biscuit needs!

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  2. It would have to be dark chocolate for me, yum. You forgot bourbons and custard creams.

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    1. How could I forget bourbons and custard creams??? I love custard creams. I wish I liked dark chocolate more as it is the grown up choice of someone with a sophisticated palate, but the child in me wants milk chocolate.

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  3. These look absolutely yummy! Much nicer than bought Digestives, nice though the bought ones are! I love the way you've swirled the chocolate on the tops - very professional! E x

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    1. Thank you. I did the swirling with my finger (I washed my hands!!) so it's not that professional at all really! x

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  4. Gillian, those look amazing! I just had to scroll up for another look. Right, I am off to raid the cupboard... x

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    1. Oh thank you! And sorry for causing you to go on a biscuit scavenger hunt... x

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  5. Oh yes, I do like a milk chocolate digestive- perfect for dunking :) These look delicious. Tunnock's teacakes are compulsory here and I like a bourbon and Kit Kats. :)

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    1. Hobnobs are good for dunking too, I forgot about those! And Kit Kats, mmm, especially when they have been kept in the fridge.

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  6. Yes, I love to have a cookie or biscotti with my morning coffee... and these look especially chocolaty and yummy!

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    1. I love biscotti, I sometimes make them as Christmas gifts for people as they keep really well.

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  7. Wow these look so yummy, the dark choc looks especially good. I do like a chocolate biscuit, the thicker the chocolate the better! xx

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    1. Yes, I am with you there. I wished I liked dark chocolate more, but I must have a sweet tooth!

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  8. Will definitely give these a try! My other favourite biscuits are hobnobs and although not technically a biscuit I am partial to a Jaffa cake or 3...!

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    1. Jaffa cakes!!! Of course. I especially love these as they are (allegedly) low in fat so less guilt. When I was a child I used to nibble off all the chocolate then peel off the orange layer, then eat the spongey base...revolting, I know. I don't do it now!

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  9. Milk chocolate for me please ..... so could the actual biscuit be described as a bit healthy (wishful thinking, though much healthier than the bought variety).

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    1. I think the biscuit part isn't too bad as it's mainly oats with a little butter, sugar and flour. So you could claim it's healthy. But I think it's the chocolate that makes it!

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  10. They look so yummy, I think the white chocolate for me please!

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    1. The kids loved the white chocolate ones, they were very sweet! Actually, who am I kidding, I loved them too.

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  11. oh you missed the 'nice' and malted milk' with the cow on it!
    xxx

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    1. How could I miss "nice", that after-church-coffee biscuit of my childhood? And we permanently have a jar of malted milks in the house for the kids so I don't know how I overlooked those!

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  12. Oh wow, they look awesome! I think milk chocolate is always the best way to go when dipping into tea :-) x

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    1. Milk chocolate and tea, it is a match made in heaven. Welcome back! x

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  13. Yum is all I can say- I got the Peyton and Byrne book from the library and it was lush! Jxx

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    1. It's great isn't it? I have used it lots already, I good solid baking book!

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  14. Oh yum!!! You are so not good for my waistline!

    Love that we both blogged about Tunnock's Teacakes :D

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    1. After I read your post I added Tunnock's Teacake to my online shopping order! Bad influence...

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  15. I love chocolate digestives! Never thought to make my own though...you have planted a seed in my baking brain.

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    1. Hi there, thanks for stopping by! I am currently obsessed with baking all the typical biscuits I ate as a child.

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  16. I will DEFINITELY be making these!
    Your photos make them look AMAZING!

    yum

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    1. Hi Mel, thank you! They tasted better than they looked too, very yum indeed.

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  17. Oh, they look so good! We have that book so there's no excuse for not having a go. (The jammy dodgers recipe is excellent, btw.) I have a 'thing' for fig rolls and can easily eat a whole packet.

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    1. It's such a good book. I've made Tana Ramsay's jammy dodgers a few times and they are really good.

      My three year old son has a mania for fig rolls, he adores them!

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  18. PLEASE stop doing posts like this or I will have to unfollow you... I've put on three lbs since easter and I blame you!!!!
    Emily x

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    1. I've put on 5lbs since Easter. Too much cake and crochet and not enough running. Bad!

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  19. PS - I wasn't being serious about the unfollowing thing, btw. Sadly I was being serious about the four lbs thing....
    X

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  20. Oh my word - they look divine....I really need to stop drooling.

    Nina x

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    1. I love the effect a simple chocolate digestive has on everyone! x

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  21. Ginger nuts, or "Kinnocks" as we call them here! I will leave you to work that one out.
    Margaret P

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    1. Oh, that made me laugh! I wonder if the labour party serve them at party meetings?

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  22. I can (and do) eat a whole packet of fig rolls in one sitting - love them and please let me know if you ever find a recipe for home made ones!!

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    1. There is one in that Peyton and Byrne book!!! Haven't tried it yet though, may do this weekend if we get time (yeah right)... x

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  23. Oh wow, just discovered your blog via little buckles and now sporting a massive digestive craving....racking my brain for what might be in our pantry....m'n'm's aren't quite the same.

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    1. Hello, nice to meet you! M'n'm's aren't a bad alternative!

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  24. They look amazing, off to order that book! Have you seen the giant bourbons, custard creams and ginger nut biscuits in Costa? Yum!

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    1. I have never come across the giant biscuits in Costa, but they sound brilliant! Hmm, like I needed a reason to visit Costa...

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