Digestive Cookies have always been a favorite of mine. They’re good company for afternoon tea or as a nibble after dinner.
I always bought them, but I decided to try making them home one day.
While watching Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri on the Food Network, I got the idea. Guy travels the United States and the world, cooking and tasting. It’s an excellent job, isn’t it?
When I saw him making Digestive in a bakery in Virginia, I took note of the original ingredients of these cookies that have been around since 1839.
About my attempts before developing the right recipe for Digestive cookies
Guys give us ingredients but not amounts.
I read many Italian and foreign recipes, tried some of them, used the original ingredients, assigned each ingredient an amount that seemed reasonable based on my experience, and set about kneading and testing.
I didn’t want someone else’s recipe; I was looking for my own way and recipe.
The first two bakes went very badly. I burned the first one. The second one was a cookie but not yet a Digestive.
I got a little angry with myself for not listening to my inner voice, which told me that the amounts of sugar and butter were still excessive.
Cookies metaphor for life
Do you trust your ability? I don’t always. I want to learn to believe in myself more. Confidence in our abilities must grow within us; we must cultivate it tenaciously and not be afraid to make mistakes.
We will undoubtedly make mistakes sooner or later. This is normal.
I will make amends and move on.
But if I make a mistake, I want to make a mistake with my own head.
Mistakes, how we fall, how we get back up, also say a lot about us.
I don’t want my mistakes to say about me that I am a photocopy identical to a thousand others. I want to cultivate my originality even in error. Without forgetting that “”sorry”” is a beautiful word.
Be original in cooking and in life; it is authenticity that makes flavors and people unique.
Buona vita, Monica
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Digestive Cookies
Equipment
- cookie cutter 5cm diameter
Ingredients
- 110 g of whole-wheat flour
- 100 g of oatmeal or whole-wheat oat flour
- 100 g of unsalted butter
- 60 g of brown sugar
- 20 g of milk
- 1/2 poor teaspoon of sea salt
- 30 g of dark chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add milk and cold butter in chunks.
- If you want to add chocolate chips, now is the right moment.
- Mix first with the help of a spatula, then with your hands for some minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a clean surface and continue kneading. Do not give in to the temptation to add more liquid. The amounts are right; you need a bit of patience. Knead until the mixture is smooth for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C (356F) degrees.
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to about 4mm in height, and cut out rounds.
- Stamp the characteristic decorative holes with the help of a wooden toothpick.
- Place on a baking sheet covered with kitchen paper and bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the cookies take on color. After about 10 minutes, when they are just about done baking, turn them over with a spatula so that they turn golden brown on both sides. When removed from the oven, the cookie should be evenly golden.
- Gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack until completely cooled. The Digestive becomes crisp as it cools out of the oven.
Food tips
- Pay attention to baking. From my mistakes, I have learned that the thickness of the cookie changes the baking time. If your cookies are about 2-3mm, bake them for 7-8 minutes and then check. If they are about 5mm, you may need more time than I indicated.
- If you don't have oatmeal flour, you can grind some natural oatmeal flakes in the blender. From 100 g of flakes, you will get coarse, rustic flour, perfect for these cookies.
