Love digestive biscuits? These milk chocolate covered tea biscuits are just like McVitie's brand, only better! They're one of my absolute favorite cookies.
Place an oven rack on the center shelf and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the rolled oats, spelt flour, salt, baking powder and light brown sugar to a food processor and pulse several times until the rolled oats are chopped into smaller bits. Leave a little bit of texture in the oats to add flakiness to the cookies.
Move the oat mixture to a large bowl and add the shortening. Using clean hands, rub the shortening into the oat mixture until it’s crumbly. When the shortening is almost completely incorporated, add the butter and do the same thing until everything is incorporated with a few bigger pieces here and there.
Add the cream slowly, stirring the mixture with a spatula or wood spoon, until the biscuit dough comes together. Kneed it in the bowl a few times.
Lightly flour a clean surface, then roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a small cookie cutter (I used a 2 1/2-inch cutter) and cut out the biscuits, placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the dough until all of the biscuits are cut.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden with faintly browning edges. Allow to cool completely.
When the cookies are cool, place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate in 15-30 second increments, stirring well each time, until the chocolate is shiny and melted (this can also be done over a double boiler).
Use a pastry brush to generously brush the melted chocolate onto the cookies (you can also carefully dip them into the chocolate). Place the cookies in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
Serve the biscuits with black tea for dipping. Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
Do not use all butter in place of the shortening or the cookies won't turn out right. Adapted from Nigella Lawson