Biscuits for cheese - Scottish oatcakes recipe

We are doing very well for interesting and tasty cheeses from the farm

Scottish oatcakes with apple slices and cheeses 

shop in Hope - cheeses that warrant more than just brown bread to accompany them - so I thought I would try to make a batch of Scottish oatcakes instead. There are lots of different versions around, but my recipe here was basically decided by the weight of oats I had left in the cupboard! I make porridge for myself most mornings. Scottish oatcakes look very different to Derbyshire oatcakes. The latter are sold locally and look like crepes or pancakes. We haven't had an opportunity to eat them though so I don't know for sure. Scottish oatcakes are crisp and crunchy.

Ingredients:
205g porridge oats
80g wholemeal flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp demerera sugar
60g salted butter, cut into small pieces
8-10 tbsp just-boiled-and-still-hot water

Pre-heat the oven to about 200c.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Rub in the butter pieces until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the hot water, 1 tbsp at a time, and mix in well with a palette knife. Stop adding water when you have a sturdy, but not sticky, dough.

Sprinkle flour over a worksurface and rolling pin. Roll the dough out to about 1/2 cm thick then press out circles using pastry cutters or whatever comes to hand. I used one of our plastic picnic wineglasses!

Lay out the oatcakes on a greased or floured baking tray and bake for 20 - 30 minutes until they are golden. Allow to cool before serving.

Scottish oatcakes will last several days in an airtight container. I made 21 from the dough batch and these did us for two lunches as they are quite dense and filling. Dave liked them warm with butter and they also paired well with these cheeses: Bowland which is a cheddary-type cheese, rolled in cinnamon and containing chopped apple and raisin pieces; Pendle Forrest which is a delicious smoked cheese; and Caramelised Onion Cheddar which is exactly what its name describes!