Digestive Cookies

If this sounds like some sort of health food to you, relax and keep reading! Digestive cookies (or biscuits) are a common item on cookie shelves in Canada and the UK. I seem to like making cookies that are easy to find in stores, as the oreos, graham crackers and this recipe show. I'm not a (complete) nut, it's just that homemade is better! Digestives are available plain or chocolate dipped and are the perfect partner for a cup of tea or coffee. They are often used as cheesecake bases, but are also an ideal accompaniment to a cheese plate.

With cheese or with tea, you'll love them

Here in Canada, there is usually only one brand of digestives available, but when I was in England, Scotland and Ireland people had very strong opinions about which brand I should buy. I was a very good sport and tried them all! My first batch were crisper than store-bought, but I couldn't stop nibbling on them. The flavour was a bit sweet and salty, with a wonderful grain taste and texture. For the second batch, I made balls of dough and pressed them with the 'homemade' stamp. These were thicker than the first batch, and I didn't bake them as long, making them soft and crumbly. I really can't decide which I like better as they were both so good. I even made an ice cream sandwich with them, but I left it in the freezer when I left town, so I can't tell you too much about that!
I used whole wheat flour from a local farm, and it was milled from Red Fife wheat right in front of me at the farmers' market. You can also use half or all spelt flour instead, and while I also bought freshly milled spelt flour I haven't tried making the digestive with that yet.

Digestives
Makes 35-40
From River Cottage Every Day

250 grams/8.8 ounces whole wheat flour
250 grams/8.8 ounces quick-cooking oatmeal
125 grams/4.4 ounces soft brown sugar
2 teaspoons fine sea salt (this gave a distinct salty edge--can halve it if you like)
2 teaspoons baking powder
250 grams/8.8 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
about 1 tablespoon milk (I needed a bit more)

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. This amount filled my food processor, but it was fine. Add butter and but in until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. You can also do this easily by hand--it's a bit like making pie crust.
2. Gradually add the milk and pulse until it comes together into a slightly sticky dough. I found it easiest to do this by hand, after transferring it to a large bowl. 
3. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate about 30 minutes, or for a few days. Remove from the fridge about an hour before you want to bake it, as it gets very hard.
4. Preheat oven to 180℃/350℉. Dust the table and dough with flour and roll to 3-4 mm thickness/¹⁄₈", or thicker for a softer, crumblier cookie. The dough is sticky and crumbly, but if you are gentle it's easy to roll. Cut with a 6-7 cm (2½") cutter and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, checking after 5. You want them to be golden brown around the edges and lightly coloured on top. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Maple Cornmeal Biscuits

A very late TWD post today: I got home from a rough day at work yesterday with a terrible sore throat and sinuses, fell asleep and woke up ... 12 hours later, still wearing my scarf! Feeling a lot better, though, but had to run out the door again. Today was a much better day. It really depends which school you go to as a substitute teacher, and there's not so much work that we can be choosy. 

Anyway, I couldn't believe it when the May recipes for Tuesdays with Dorie were posted. I thought I had broken up with cornmeal pretty definitively after the cornmeal shortbread, but here it was again. Never one to hold a grudge, I thought I'd give it one more chance. Dorie even recommended using the dreaded stone-ground for this recipe. I used half stone-ground and half regular cornmeal, and I have to admit that these were very tasty right out of the oven. I did eat them very gingerly, as I had fears of cracking (another) filling. I liked the taste, and ate a couple plain, but I didn't care for them the next morning. I couldn't really taste the maple, but I did like the cornmeal flavour, and will be taking the finely ground stuff for another spin soon. Lindsay over at A Little Something...Sweet has the recipe for you, and it's an easy one. As always, check out the TWD site for all the variations. 

TWD: Sweet cream biscuits

I think this week's recipe was even quicker than last week's, which was a good thing, because I've been working more than usual and the early mornings don't agree with my night owl hours.  I had these mixed, baked, photographed and eaten within 30 minutes! I made ¼ of a recipe, and ended up with 2 biscuits, which, along with some of the marmalade I made last month, made a quick, early and pretty tasty dinner. I almost always add chopped crystallized ginger to my scones/biscuits, but I forgot today. I was just about to take these out of the oven when I noticed that they looked incredibly plain, so I brushed them with a bit of cream and sprinkled them with maple sugar. Highly recommended, that step:)

This week's recipe was selected by Melissa of Love at First Bite, so click on over there for the recipe. Thanks for such a great pick! To see what the rest of the TWD bakers have made, this is the place to be. I bet there are some much more creative versions out there.