| Printable Version of Topic
Click here to view this topic in its original format |
| Celtic Radio Community > Scottish Recipes > Oat Cakes |
| Posted by: 3Ravens 08-Sep-2003, 01:53 AM |
| Does anyone have a recipe for oat cakes? What I am thinking of is like a bread or scone, not a biscuit(cookie). It is only a little sweet, possibly with honey. It has cinnamon or something similar for a spice. It has oatmeal, not just oat flour. It might be yeast raised or soda raised. A friend of my Gramma made them when I was a child. She described herself as "full burr Scots" and it was the truth! I am assuming it was a recipe she brought over with her. Catronia, as High Mistress of the Kitchen and Keeper of the Recipe Books, can you help?  |
| Posted by: Catriona 08-Sep-2003, 02:00 AM | ||
3R At first I couldn't think what you were referring to - an oatcake is a thin savoury biscuit (not an American style-biscuit, btw) that is eaten with cheese or breakfast! I posted that I didn't know of anything similar to your sweet scone type cake... Then I remembered...... THE SELKIRK BANNOCK....  I think you are referring to a Selkirk Bannock - wonder if your Granny's friend was from the Borders? This is not to be confused with a normal bannock which is a kind of oat scone and eaten with savoury foods. This originated in Selkirk and is still on sale at every baker's shop in the Borders area.... some are much better than others. I wish I could give a source for this recipe, but I forgot to write down where I found it at the time, and my recipe is now a dog eared, handwritten copy, stained with fruit and fat stains! NOTE There is no cinammon or other spice in this recipe, but I can certainly recall eating SB with a decidedly spicy taste - which I think may be cinammon. 125g butter 125g lard 300ml tepid milk 25g fresh yeast or 12g dried ½ tsp sugar 900g sifted flour 450g sultanas, slightly warmed 225g sugar, slightly warmed 125g candied orange peel (optional) a little milk and sugar mixed for glazing Recipe Heat the butter and lard until soft. Add the warmed milk and set aside. Cream the yeast with the ½ teaspoon of sugar, the milk and butter mixture and let the yeast go to work for about 10 minutes. Sift the flour, make a well in the centre, and add the yeasted liquid. Sprinkle in the flour from the sides of the well to the centre so that it bubbles through and makes a batter. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for about an hour or until it has doubled in size. Knead well for 5 minutes then add the fruit with the remaining sugar and the peel. Knead for a further 5 minutes. Knead into a round flattish shape, cover and leave again in a warm place for about 45 minutes. Bake in a medium oven 350F/180C/Gas 4 for about 1 hour. Take out the bannock and brush it with the milk and sugar mixture to glaze, then return it to the oven for a further 15 minutes. To test if it is cooked tap the bottom of the bannock ? it should sound hollow. |
| Posted by: 3Ravens 08-Sep-2003, 10:43 AM |
Thanks Catronia!  This sounds yummy, I'll give it a try. However, I don't think it's exactly what I was thinking of, the other was made with oatmeal in, and was baked in individial sized little cakes about 5 inches across. Could have been her own personal version of it, I guess. I do have a little scale that measures grams, so I'm set. Except maybe for the lard.... Do you think solid vegetable shortening would work for that part, or maybe just use all butter?  |
| Posted by: barddas 08-Sep-2003, 11:17 AM | ||
You might want to check the baking lane at your grocer. Lard is normally kept on the bottom shelf either in the baking supplies, or near the cooking oil. At least at all the markets I have been to. That's Cincinnati, to Townsend, Tn. Figure Virginia shouldn't be too different... But something like Crisco should work too. At least I would think so. |
| Posted by: Catriona 08-Sep-2003, 03:41 PM |
| Hmmmm Don't use all butter, the texture would be wrong! As for solid vegetable shortening - is that the white stuff in a block? It is sold here (I think) as Spry..... It might be all right, but the flavour would definitely be different... For instance, you cannot really make successful Scots oatcakes (the 'real' ones!) except with lard in the recipe... All I can suggest is that if you cannot obtain lard, then try the shortening... |
| Posted by: 3Ravens 09-Sep-2003, 03:36 AM |
Thanks Barddas! I'll have to do a grocery store crawl when I'm out in the AM. I remember seeing lard in gallon buckets when I was a kid... Hope it comes in smaller sizes! 125 grams is only about 4 ounces!  Catronia, the white stuff in a block comes in a can here, but it's the same thing! If I don't find lard that's what I'll use. Thanks! |