Scottish Oatmeal Cakes

 Scottish Oatmeal Cakes

October 29: National Oatmeal Day

Highlander’s Mum has a well-stocked shelf of Scottish snacks, such as shortbread and oatmeal cakes, to share with family and friends who drop by to visit. We prefer to eat more of her sweet buttery biscuits than the bland ones. But once in a while, the oatmeal cakes are a nice change when she spreads them with her homemade jams or tops them with cheeses. Try the traditional Scottish oatmeal cakes as a breakfast biscuit, a tea time treat or a snack for National Oatmeal Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Glasgow Guide)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup oatmeal
  • 1 cup self-rising flour (see Notes)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • ½ cup milk

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the oatmeal with the flour. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and rub it into the oatmeal and flour with your fingers. Mix in the brown sugar. Moisten with milk to make a sticky dough.

Scottish Oatmeal Cakes

Transfer onto a sheet of floured wax paper. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little flour. Place another sheet of wax paper on top. Roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with a round cookie cutter or rim of a glass. Re-roll the dough and cut more rounds.

Scottish Oatmeal Cakes

Place on a a greased baking sheet. Prick the top of the rounds with the tines of a fork. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Let cool completely on a wire rack. The oatmeal cakes should harden to a crisp while they cool.

Scottish Oatmeal Cakes

Notes

  • If not using self-rising flour, then use 1 cup all-purpose flour sifted with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

April 30: National Oatmeal Cookie Day

A batch of home-baked cookies never lasted long in Highlander’s household, where he grew up with three brothers and three sisters! Whenever Mum made classic oatmeal raisin cookies, they would quickly disappear, leaving some crumbs and seven children with satisfied smiles. Perhaps that is why the company, Quaker Oats, from which this blog recipe post is adapted, named their version “Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.” We feature this time-honored traditional treat for National Oatmeal Cookie Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from Quaker Oats)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • ½ cup sugar, granulated white
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3 cups quick or old fashioned oats, uncooked
  • 1 cup of raisins

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and ground cinnamon. Stir until well mixed. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the brown and white sugars. Stir in the vanilla and eggs. Gradually add the flour mixture until smooth. Mix in the oatmeal then the raisins to form a lumpy dough.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

On a lightly greased baking sheet, scoop about a rounded teaspoonful of cookie dough about two-inches apart to allow for spreading.  Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies start to flatten out and turn golden. Remove from the oven and cool for about a minute on the baking sheet before transferring the cookies to a wire rack. Cool completely. Yield: About 3 dozen.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Notes

  • Oatmeal is a naturally healthy ingredient that may help lower cholesterol, control weight and boost immunity; can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain types of cancers; contains several vitamins, minerals and antioxidants; and is a good source of complex carbohydrates, iron and protein.
  • See more blog recipe posts with oatmeal as an ingredient in January, National Oatmeal Month, and on December 19, Oatmeal Muffin Day.