This post has been the most clicked-on photo from my Feeding Time Blog Pinterest board GREATEST HITS – so I thought I’d bring it to the front page of the blog. The recipe comes from The Steading cafe in Keith, Scotland where I tried their homemade oatcakes on a ploughman’s lunch and they were amazing. Served in place of bread with cheese, their oaty crunch complemented the meal perfectly. I have used oatcakes on my cheese plates before but I’d never thought to eat them with things like smoked salmon, clapshot (like a tasty mash potato with turnips and chives) or maybe even with something sweet like butter and jam for breakfast. They’re a great alternative to bread, if you’re looking to reduce your processed flours.
As these oatcakes are made with no flour and not much butter, they make very healthy snacks with lots of fibre. If you’re wondering what bran is, it’s the husk or outershell of the oat grain. Bran contains lots of fibre and minerals and looks like little flakes almost, and is sold in packets usually in the cereal aisle. But you might have to search a bit, they’re not usually on eye level.
If you introduce these children perhaps with their favourite spread or topped with cheese, it might become their favourite cracker and one of their best sources of fibre. Angus and Maggie from The Steading, were kind enough to let me use their recipe for home made oatcakes.
Oatcake Recipe
Ingredients:
360g oatbran
1/2 tsp baking powder
50g of melted butter or oil (rapeseed is preferable)
enough boiling water to weigh 230g
1/2 tsp salt (or enough to your taste, you might need more if you’re using unsalted butter)
Oven at 180C
Method:
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add water and butter/oil.
Mix to form a dough.
Roll out and cut circles as you would with normal cookie dough.
Bake on lined trays until golden brown and getting crisp around the edges (around 20 minutes, but keep watch).
‘If in doubt a slightly overcooked oatcake is better than an undercooked one which will be porridgy in texture.’ Angus
Leave to cool for five minutes on the tray and then transfer to a wire rack.