Scottish Oat Cakes (like Walkers Highland Oatcakes)

It's a relaxed, blissful weekend here at enlightened cooking. After spending last weekend on the road, it felt especially satisfying to just "be" this weekend: sleeping in (that's about 7:15, when Nick pops out of his bed and into ours), an extra pot of coffee, a sunny soccer game, and making a mud castle (made possible by the torrential Saturday night thunder storm) in the back yard.

The coffee wore off by mid-afternoon today, but Nick was still going strong; to keep up, I made a pot of tea and a batch of oat cakes.

If you are familiar with Walker's Highland Oatcakes, than these are virtually identical, which thrills me--as I know it will my sister, mother, and father--because we all four love our afternoon tea accompanied by a plate of jam-slathered oat cakes. Moreover, Walker's oat cakes are hard to find in stores--so cravings must be coordinated with mail-order shipments.

If you have never tried traditional oat cakes, a mild caution: oat cakes are not sweet like cookies, nor crisp like crackers. So what are they, and why on earth would you want to eat them? The answer is that they are the perfect vehicles for jams, honeys, cheeses, butter, Nutella, or any other schmear that comes to mind. Two topped "cakes,' especially in the company of two cups of tea, is just what every weary and/or famished soul needs to power through the afternoon. Sold? I hope so. Enjoy the last few hours of the weekend!

Place of piece of plastic wrap (wax paper works well, too) on top of the dough before rolling;  
it makes it very easy to roll the dough to an even thickness without it tearing. 
Once rolled, carefully lift the plastic wrap away from the dough to avoid tearing.

                  No biscuit cutter? No problem. Look around your kitchen for anything with a 
                       small round shape (upturned wine glasses are often just the right size).

Scottish Oat Cakes

Makes about 2 dozen oat cakes

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C)

Large rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment paper

Food processor

2-1/2-inch round biscuit cutter

Rolling pin

2 cups large-flake (old-fashioned) rolled oats           
1/2 cup whole wheat flour       
1/2 tsp baking powder          
1/2 tsp fine sea salt     

1 large egg, at room temperature                   
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted          

2 tbsp liquid honey   

1.         In a food processor, process the oats until coarsely ground.
2.         In a large bowl, whisk together ground oats, flour, baking powder, and salt.

3.         Add egg, melted butter, and honey to oat mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until just blended.

4.         Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll out into a 1/4-inch (0.5 cm)-thick rectangle.
5.         Using cookie cutter, cut dough into circles, then transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with dough scraps.

6.         Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and set at edges. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack. Serve warm or let cool completely.