Oatcakes

This recipe was generously donated from a friend Brett from his grandmother. Grandmothers make the best treats, so here his her recipe! I have left the recipe in it's original form as intended.

In the 1800's the people of Barra, Scotland used peat moss as a source of heat and cooking. Wood was very hard to find. Trees did not grow well with the high wind and choppy sea all around. They cooked over an open fire called a hearth, using an iron grid for the food.

When the early settlers came to Cape Breton, they used the hearth fire. Now, they could use wood as there were many trees in Cape Breton. This recipe has been passed down for generations. These cookies were made by my Shen (grandmother in Gaelic).

Brett's Grandmother, 2009

Ingredients

Flour (2 cups)
Brown Sugar (2 cups)
Rolled Oats (6 cups)
Shortening (1 cup)
Cold Water (1 cup)
Baking Soda (1.5 tsp)
Salt (1 tsp)

Method

Oven set to 350 F.
Sift: 2 cups flour, 1.5 tsp baking soda, tsp salt}
Add: 2cups brown sugar, 6 cups rolled oats, 1 cup shortening (early settlers used animal fat called tallow) or vegetable oil
Combine well.
Sprinkle with about 1 cup cold water
Add the water slowly, mixing with a fork to make a soft, but not sticky dough. Turn out on floured surface and roll very thin. Cut with floured cookie cutter and place on greased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes.

These cookies can be put together with date filling or raspberry jam if desired.

fin.