I have loved English tea biscuits ever since I was a little girl and they were handed to me in Sunday School along with a paper cup of grape juice. These days I prefer them with a large mug of black tea sweetened with honey and whitened with a bit of milk. They are the perfect dunking cookie and are just the thing when you want “a little something” with your afternoon tea.
Until this week I’d only ever had the store-bought version, long rolls of perfectly round biscuits in cellophane wrappers. But after tasting this homemade English tea biscuits recipe, I can’t imagine ever going back.
Digesting History
English tea biscuits, or digestive biscuits, were first developed in Scotland in the early 1800’s by a couple of doctors who wanted to aid the digestion of their patients. The combination of whole wheat flour (to keep things moving) and baking soda (to keep things calm) apparently did the trick.
Nowadays they are lovely as a not-too-sweet treat with a cup of tea, served as part of a cheese-platter, or used in place of graham crackers to form a base for creamy cheesecakes. You can also serve them with an array of sweet accompaniments such as our Mixed Summer Berry Tea Jelly, raw honey, or Spiced Pear Jam.
English Tea Biscuits Recipe
Traditionally, these digestive aid biscuits were made with whole grain flour, vegetable oil, baking soda, sugar, and malt extract. While this recipe has certainly stood the test of time, I’m a firm believer that every baked good tastes better with butter, so I substitute it for the vegetable oil. If you want to be a purist, by all means, stick to vegetable oil.
Whole wheat flour is a must for these biscuits. It provides the grainy texture and unique flavor that is the hallmark of a proper digestive biscuit. Malt extract is another important ingredient, but I can't find malt extract in my part of the world. Instead, I substitute with either vanilla or maple extract, and they are both perfectly scrumptious. As mentioned above, real butter gives these biscuits a new depth of richness with beautiful layers of crispy goodness. For me, substituting butter for the vegetable oil is a much more delicious option.
If you have a food processor, this dough will be ready for shaping and baking in just a few minutes. Start with the flour and baking soda, pulsing just enough to combine. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the powdered sugar and pulse a few times to mix. Turn out the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and add the milk and extract of your choosing. Stir well with a wooden spoon until the dough forms, then press dough into a mound and turn out onto a floured surface. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and roll until about 1/8th of an inch thick.
The traditional shape of tea biscuits is round. You can make them with smooth edges or scalloped, whatever takes your fancy. Place the biscuits onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, then prick the top of each one all over with the tines of a fork. This gives the biscuits their instantly recognizable look.
Some cookies are best slightly-undercooked, but that is not the case with this English tea biscuits recipe. They are at their best nicely browned so they cool to a nice, crispy biscuit. Once they’re cooled, store them in an airtight container or well-wrapped in the freezer until you’re ready to use. Serve them with one of our beautiful breakfast teas such as our House Blend vanilla black tea, Heritage Blend Scottish Breakfast maple black tea, or Fog Cutter lemon peel black tea.
English Tea Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup butter, cut in pieces
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar (1/2 cup if you prefer less sweet)
- 1/4 cup cold milk
- 1 teaspoon malt extract (vanilla or maple are other good options)
Directions:
Preheat to 350F. Cover baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
Place flour and baking powder into bowl of food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles crumbs. Add powdered sugar and pulse to mix.
Pour dry ingredients into medium mixing bowl, add milk and malt extract, and stir until dough forms.
Turn mixture out onto floured surface and knead just until dough is smooth and holds together well.
Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick and cut into circles. Place cookies on baking sheets and prick them all over with a fork.
Bake until nicely browned, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on pan until cool and crisp.
Krista Bjorn
Canadian born Krista Bjorn has been traveling and exploring for over 20 years and loves every crazy, embarrassing, and wonderful moment. She's lived in Russia and Portugal and now makes her home in beautiful Queensland, Australia, saving her pennies for her next trip. Her food, photography and travel blog is Rambling Tart.
FAQs
Freshly baked biscuits made with whole wheat flour, natural sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup, and healthy fats like olive oil, are likely to be more nutritious than commercially-made biscuits, which often contain refined flour, added sugars, and unhealthy fats.
What is the secret to an excellent biscuit? ›
Just bring it all together and let the ingredients do the work." In order to help the biscuits rise, all the experts agree that the fat — whether butter, shortening or margarine — needs to be cold, and there should still be visible chunks of that fat in the dough. Don't overmix.
What makes biscuits taste better? ›
Use good butter and dairy
Because biscuit recipes call for so few ingredients, it's important that every one is high quality—you'll really taste the difference. Catherine recommends splurging a bit on a grass-fed butter or European-style butter (now's the time to reach for Kerrygold!).
What is the American equivalent of Rich Tea biscuits? ›
Rich Tea Classic
Description: A plain cracker. American equivalent: A Saltine without the salt. My thoughts: If you tap one of these biscuits against the table, it makes a hollow knocking noise like a piece of plywood. I feel like that's everything you need to know about these.
Are homemade biscuits better with butter or shortening? ›
The butter version rises the highest — look at those flaky layers! The shortening biscuit is slightly shorter and a bit drier, too. Butter contains a bit of water, which helps create steam and gives baked goods a boost.
Why is homemade baking better than store bought? ›
Baking at home gives you control over the ingredients in your baked goods, and can be much healthier than choosing store-bought breads, cakes, and cookies.
What kind of flour makes the best biscuits? ›
White wheat in general is around 9-12% protein, while the hard reds are 11-15%. As far as brands of flour, White Lily “all-purpose” flour has been my go-to for biscuit making. It's a soft red winter wheat, and the low protein and low gluten content keep biscuits from becoming too dense.
What is the best type of flour to use for biscuits? ›
Cake flour will give you a lighter, fluffier biscuit, but the outer crust won't have as much bite to it. Conversely, all-purpose flour will provide more bite, but it'll be a drier, less airy biscuit. The solution: Use half cake flour and half all-purpose flour.
What is the king of biscuit? ›
Pillai became known in India as the 'Biscuit King' or 'Biscuit Baron'. He took over Nabisco's other Asian subsidiaries. Pillai then established links with Boussois-Souchon-Neuvesel (BSN), the French food company, and by 1989 controlled six Asian companies worth over US$400 million.
Is it better to use milk or buttermilk in biscuits? ›
What's the Difference Between Buttermilk Biscuits and Regular Biscuits? As the names might suggest, regular biscuits do not contain buttermilk, while these do. Regular biscuits are typically prepared with milk or water instead. Buttermilk adds a nice tang to the biscuit flavor and helps them rise better.
Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor to the biscuits and makes them slightly more tender.
What is the most tasty biscuit? ›
Best Biscuit Brands In India
- 1) Britannia Marie Gold Biscuits.
- 2) Cadbury Oreo Chocolate Biscuit.
- 3) Unibic Assorted Cookies, Brown Butter.
- 4) Sunfeast Dark Fantasy Choco Fills.
- 5) Mom's Magic Rich Cashew Almond Cookies.
In most of the English-speaking world, a "biscuit" is a small, hard baked product that would be called either a "cookie" or a "cracker" in the United States and sometimes in Canada.
What do English people call biscuits? ›
In Britain, what Americans refer to as “biscuits” are known as “scones.” British biscuits are actually what Americans call “cookies.” The term “biscuits” in the United Kingdom typically refers to sweet, crumbly, and sometimes buttery bakes treats, distinct from the soft, bread-like biscuits found in the United States.
What are crackers called in England? ›
In British English, crackers are sometimes called water biscuits, or savoury biscuits.
Is homemade healthier than store bought? ›
Homemade food typically contains fewer additives and preservatives than store bought products. This means that you can be sure your family is getting healthier, more nutritious meals when you cook them yourself. Store bought options may contain unhealthy ingredients or too much sodium or sugar for your liking.
Is homemade bread better than shop? ›
It's healthier.
Store bought loaves also do not have much nutrition as well. They don't contain much protein or fibre, and their calories are mostly from starch.
What is the healthiest biscuit brand? ›
One brand that may be a better option is "McVitie's Digestive Biscuits." These biscuits are made with whole wheat flour, which is higher in fiber and more nutritious than refined flour. They also contain less sugar and fat than some other biscuit brands.
Are packaged biscuits healthy? ›
In general, biscuits are often high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and calories, and consuming large amounts of them on a regular basis can contribute to weight gain and other health problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
