These slightly sweet rounds are a cross between a cookie and a cracker. Eat them plain or with jam for breakfast, or top them with cheese for a snack. You can fly in the face of tradition and use butter and brown sugar instead of shortening and white sugar.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 c old-fashioned oats (not quick or instant)
- 1 c flour
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 c chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
- 1/4 c buttermilk (Some recipes just had boiling hot water)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Butter 2 heavy large baking sheets.
- Place oats in large bowl.
- Sift flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into same bowl.
- Using fingertips, rub in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add buttermilk; stir until dough forms.
- Transfer dough to floured surface.
- Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
- Using 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. (Martha Stewart jut cut them into rectangles)
- Arrange on prepared sheets, spacing apart.
- Gather scraps, reroll and cut out additional rounds.
- Bake oatcakes until edges are pale golden, about 12 minutes.
- Transfer baking sheets to racks and cool 5 minutes.
- Transfer cakes to racks; cool completely. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in airtigh container at room temperature.)
Serves: Makes about 18
Source: Bon Appetite November 1998