Scottish Oatcakes

[liuzhou]

You might expect this to appear in the Pastries and Baking forum, but it’s here for a very good reason. Although baked it is a savoury foodstuff which more sensibly fits here. Ok, they are baked, but so are potatoes!

 

A few days ago, I took delivery of some Nairn’s Oatcakes (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) from Edinburgh, ahead of the Christmas holiday intending to eat them with my cheeses as nature intended. But today, I was thinking “Why?” Imported foods are expensive, but I can buy all the ingredients here!

 

 

But first let me explain for those who don’t know or are from England! Scottish oatcakes are a sort of unsweetened hard flatbread or cracker, unlike some from England which more resemble pancakes or badly made, cold porridge!

 

So, back to my wondering. “Why did I buy them?” They are so easy to make, something I have done many times in the past but seem to have lost the habit.

 

Basically, I do them as described in this recipe (she also explains more about alien oatcakes).

 

Here are some from the last batch I made.

 

 

and how to use them.

 

with  Wensleydale

 

with Cheddar

 

with Chavroux

 

etc.

 

The best way to eat cheese. As @kaybwill attest!

 

 

[Maison Rustique]

At some point over the past year, I tried Effie's Homemade Oatcakes. I was instantly hooked. I have continued to buy them but they are really not in my budget. I will try making them. Thanks for posting this and the recipe!

[lindag]

i didn't see this. (in the words of @Shelby).

[Katie Meadow]

Effie's oat cakes are delicious, but sweet, more like a cookie or an English "biscuit."  I think a more savory oat cake, like the Scottish ones, are better for eating with cheese. I find Nairn's are a bit dry, and so are many other commercial ones that I've tried. To be frank, some are like cardboard. So my next attempt will be to make them myself, as per @liuzhou's suggestion.

 

Not an oat cake, but my favorite cracker for cheese is Fortt's Bath Oliver. Not easy to find and not cheap. They stopped production for a while during the pandemic, but I believe are back in business. And harder to find than ever. On Amazon the shipping costs more than the product, even if you have prime. In days of yore one of my favorite meals was Bath Olivers with butter and Stilton, a dripping ripe pear and a bottle of Newcastle Brown. When anyone sent me those Royal pears from Harry and David for the holidays that was my treat. 

[BeeZee]

Thanks for posting the recipe, I'm going to make these for sure. My husband needs to watch what types of carbs he eats (oat fiber is very good for you), and these would be a good type of alternate cracker for him.

[liuzhou]

1 hour ago, Katie Meadow said:

I find Nairn's are a bit dry

 

Me too, but they are the only non-sweetened ones I've found in China and they ain't cheap here, either. I shouldn't be so lazy.

[liuzhou]

5 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

At some point over the past year, I tried Effie's Homemade Oatcakes.

 

 

I am not familiar with the brand but from what I read they contain more wheat than oats and are sweetened - a deal breaker for me.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2023 by liuzhou
typo (log)

[MaryIsobel]

The ones that I love and the ones I made for my Dad that finally resembled the ones that "Aunt Aggie" made, were made with lard. Oatcakes in our family were definitely savory. 

[liuzhou]

44 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:

The ones that I love and the ones I made for my Dad that finally resembled the ones that "Aunt Aggie" made, were made with lard. Oatcakes in our family were definitely savory. 

 

Yes. I've made them with lard too. But butter is just easier to source. I use salted butter, though.

Edited December 16, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

@Maison Rustique @lindag @Katie Meadow @BeeZee

 

I revisited this topic today to find a picture I posted and remembered you guys planning or thinking about making these. Just wondering how it went and if you repeated it.

[Maison Rustique]

I have not made them. Yet.  But still interested.

[BeeZee]

Same here, no baking recently, thanks for the reminder…I should get to these while its still cool out.

[Katie Meadow]

Me neither. If I had any sense I would make them this week to take on my road trip to see the eclipse. We leave on Easter Sunday for south Texas. Packing alone is a chore, given my limited mobility healing from a hip fracture. But it does seem like a good idea for a car snack.