Scottish Oatcakes

Ingredients

• Oatmeal (see variations) -- 2 cups
• Whole-wheat flour -- 1/2 cup
• Baking soda -- 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt -- 1/2 teaspoon
• Water -- 1/2 cup
• Butter -- 6 tablespoons

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the oatmeal, flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Bring the water and butter to a light boil in a small saucepan.
2. Stir the water-butter mixture into the oat mixture until it forms a mass. Add more water if necessary to bring the ingredients together as a dough. Set aside to rest for at least 10 minutes.
3. Roll the oatcakes dough out to 1/2 inch thick and cut into 3 to 4-inch rounds. Place the rounds onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden-brown and lightly crispy on the edges.
4. Serve warm with butter and jam or with syrup.

Scottish Oatcake Variations

• Oats: Scottish or Irish-style steelcut oats work best for oatcakes. You can use American-style old-fashioned rolled oats instead, but pulse the oats briefly in a food processor or blender first to break them up a bit.
• Gluten-free(ish) oatcakes: The wheat flour can be eliminated for a more gluten-free version. But be aware that most oats have trace amounts of gluten.
• Add a little sweetness to your oatcakes by stirring about 1/2 cup of brown sugar into the flour mixture.
• Use milk instead of water if you like.
• Some recipes substitute shortening, lard or even bacon fat for the butter.
• Instead of cutting the oatcakes into rounds, simply press out the dough to an even thickness on a baking sheet and bake according to directions above. Cut into squares after removing from the oven.
• Crispy oatcakes: Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness before cutting into rounds. Bake as directed in the recipe above.