Bannocks

I did this recipe a while ago, but I thought I should pass it along. I know a lot of people on an especially cold winter morning like to eat a bowl of oatmeal. Well, I am not one of them. I love the flavor; it’s the texture that gets to me. If you are like me or just want a new way to eat it, try this recipe. Oat cakes like this originated in Scotland and England. It is easy to make and really tasty to have with breakfast or as a snack. I brought them to work one time with apple butter. These little oat cakes did not even last an hour. I hope you enjoy them as much as my roommate and I do. I suggest getting your ingredients at a health food or co-op when you first try this recipe. Then you will not have to buy a big box or bag of oat flour/oats to make a small batch. I also suggest you make a single batch your first time. It takes practice to deal with the dough when it gets sticky. The original recipe came from the Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham on page 57.

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup oat flour (add a little more flour if needed to stiffen)
¼ tsp. salt
4 tablespoon butter chilled (I use Blue Bonnet margarine)
½ cup water

Preheat the oven around 375-400°F. Grease or spray your baking sheet. Mix all your dry ingredients (flour, oats, and salt) in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter and flour mixture together until coarse bits are made. Stir in water slowly. Form the dough into a coarse ball and dust the dough and a board with oat flour. Kneed it until smoothish, the book says 6 times. Divide the dough in half; roll out one half to a 1/4th inch thickness. Use a biscuit or round cookie cutter and make round little cakes. Repeat the other half of dough. Place the Bannocks on the cooking sheet about a ½ inch apart. Bake all of them for about 20 min or until lightly browned.


This is the basic recipe. You can add cheese, raisins, cinnamon, and a variety of nuts to make it more flavorful. I want to add chopped dates and walnuts next time.