Oatcakes – Oat Biscuits Perfect for Tea and Snacking

Ok, I’m in love with oatcakes. At least this recipe. In celebration of national oatmeal month (January) I dove into my collection of recipes to find some outstanding ones using oatmeal. I almost overlooked this one.

Oatcakes are savory biscuits (although sweet ones are out there) that are like crackers, and are great served with tea as a crisp alternative to cookies. My kids love them, and lathering them up with a small spread of cream cheese and a raspberry or cherry jam makes them irresistible.

Lots of recipes call for cutting them into rounds, but I find cutting them into squares or rectangles gets rid of the problem of excess dough you need to reroll – just roll out the dough into a square or rectangle, and cut into smaller versions. I docked mine with the tip of a fork, but that isn’t necessary.

Some recipes call for nothing more than oatmeal, butter, and baking soda, with some hot water to bind it together. I add some brown sugar and a bit of salt to bring some flavor. These crackers are good with just about anything. If you add another tablespoon of brown sugar, they turn into almost a sweet and simple oatmeal cookie.

Oatcakes

Renee Shelton

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup old fashioned oats oatmeal
  • 4 tablespoons butter room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons hot water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Place oatmeal in a blender and pulse a couple of seconds until the oatmeal is ground. Place in a bowl.
  • Add in the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt.
  • Cut in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles course meal and the butter has been mixed in.
  • Add in the hot water, and with a spoon mix into a ball.
  • Place on a lightly floured work surface and roll out into desired thickness. Cut into rounds, or into squares. If there is any leftover, roll out again and cut.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 13 minutes, then flip each over and return to oven for about 2-3 minutes more, until the oatcakes are crisp and light browned.
  • Let them cool, and enjoy.