# ISO Scottish Oatcake recipe



## XeniA (Sep 14, 2006)

A traditional T&T one, please.

Ishbel ....?!


----------



## Ishbel (Sep 14, 2006)

Here you are
8 oz (225g) medium oatmeal (not porridge oats)
Quarter teaspoon bicarb of soda
Half teaspoon salt
5 fl oz water (150ml)
0.5 oz (15g) lard (or butter at a push, but the results aren't so good!)

Preheat oven to Gas mark 4 180c.  Combine oatmeal, bicarb of soda and salt in a bowl.  Put lard (or butter) and water in a pan and heat until fat has melted.  Make a well in the cenre of the oatmeal, add liquid and mix together with a palette knife.  At first the mix will seem a little wet, but the oateal will absorb the liquid to make a soft dough.  Divide mix into two and roll each piece out on a work surface lightly dusted with oatmeal to about 6 inch (15mm) circle about quarter inch thick (5mm)  The edges may not look too neat, but don't worry, they are more 'authentic' that way!  Cut each circle into quarters (we call them farls)  Brush off any excess otmeal and place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 20 mins (approx) turning the oatcakes ever 5 minutes or so to stop them steaming (which makes them go soggy!) until they are crisp and lightly golden (my husband prefers me to cook them a little longer until they get a little more browned on the edges).  When they are ready, leave them on a wire rack to cool.

I actually make mine on my Granny's old iron 'girdle' - but I devised an oven method for my daughter to use when she moved away from home!

They are great with cheese or warmed and eaten with a full Scottish breakfast - the yolk of a runny fried egg is just great!  I bet they'd be great with a Greek salad, too!


----------



## Chef_Jen (Sep 14, 2006)

This is very close to my recipe I love oatcakes! I personally griddle mine


----------



## XeniA (Sep 15, 2006)

Thank you everybody -- guess what I'm whipping up this weekend?

Daisy, the banana oatcakes are probably just wonderful. A very favorite cookie of mine from childhood was a banana oatmeal cookie -- really tender and moist with a wonderful flavor (and a variation where you substitute crushed pineapple for the banana, also great!).

Ishbel, can you tell me the difference between oatmeal and porridge oats, please?

Used to be able to get lard when I first moved to Athens, then it stopped being available. Piffle, now I have to make piecrust with butter, not the same. Whazzamatter with these Greeks?!


----------



## Ishbel (Sep 15, 2006)

Errr, could they be being Grecian?!!!  

I have an aunt who swears by using bacon fat in her oatcakes - but it wouldn't work with American style bacons, so the question is:  do you get UK style bacon in Athens?  Butter does work, but they don't seem to taste quite 'right' to me.


----------



## XeniA (Sep 15, 2006)

Ishbel said:
			
		

> Errr, could they be being Grecian?!!!
> 
> I have an aunt who swears by using bacon fat in her oatcakes - but it wouldn't work with American style bacons, so the question is:  do you get UK style bacon in Athens?  Butter does work, but they don't seem to taste quite 'right' to me.



Yeah, I know ... and being Grecian's a right and proper thing for them to be doing. I just miss lard, snif.

UK style bacon? Yes and no, although actually I am puzzled by your suggestion (if I understand it correctly) that UK-style bacon would give bacon fat whereas American style wouldn't. Of the two, I think of the American-style as being much more fatty.

And Ishbel, while I have you: would you please tell me the difference between oatmeal and porridge oats?


----------



## Ishbel (Sep 15, 2006)

Ayrton said:
			
		

> Yeah, I know ... and being Grecian's a right and proper thing for them to be doing. I just miss lard, snif.
> 
> UK style bacon? Yes and no, although actually I am puzzled by your suggestion (if I understand it correctly) that UK-style bacon would give bacon fat whereas American style wouldn't. Of the two, I think of the American-style as being much more fatty.
> 
> And Ishbel, while I have you: would you please tell me the difference between oatmeal and porridge oats?


 
Oops - you asked that question before!  I use steel-cut oats and porridge oats have been 'rolled' which changes the structure.

I didn't mean you wouldn't get bacon fat from US style bacon, just that I don't think they taste the same at all, which would alter the flavour of the oatcakes!


----------



## jkath (Sep 15, 2006)

Ayrton said:
			
		

> A very favorite cookie of mine from childhood was a banana oatmeal cookie -- really tender and moist with a wonderful flavor (and a variation where you substitute crushed pineapple for the banana, also great!)


 
Ayrton, is there a recipe for these delights?


----------



## XeniA (Sep 16, 2006)

jkath said:
			
		

> Ayrton, is there a recipe for these delights?



Hi Jkath -- there sure is! I'll try to get it to you by Monday!


----------



## jkath (Sep 16, 2006)

ooooh! Thank you so much!!!


----------



## XeniA (Sep 17, 2006)

Hi again, jkath --

As promised, here's my recipe (my grandma's, actually) for banana oatmeal cookies:

2 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c. sugar
1 c. soft shortening
1 c. mashed bananas
2 eggs
2 c. oats (quick or old-fashioned)

Sift together dry ingredients. Add shortening, mashed bananas, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Fold in rolled oats. Drop by tablespoon-fulls on well-greased sheet.

375 F., 10-12 minutes

Pineapple version's identical except that you substitute the same amount of crushed pineapple for the mashed banana.

You don't want to get these very brown -- nicest texture IMHO is just starting to brown.

Enjoy!!


----------

