Scottish Spiced Griddle Cakes - Gluten Free Winter Treat

The Scottish poet Robert Burns described his native land as a 'Land o' Cakes' and as with all cookery in our family we like to make variations on a theme. So as we just about every day make some form of oatcake or oat based blini for our breakfast, I've been experimenting with making a twice-cooked oat griddle cake, which serves as a sweet biscuit that we can eat anytime. Chocolate chip griddle cookies are now a firm favourite in our house but I wanted to make something that was more festive.

A Short History of Oat Griddle Cakes

Like the ancient Mongolians, who used their shields to cook their food, documents show that in the 14th century the Chieftain and his clan used theirs to bake oatcakes. It is even believed that the Romans, whilst in the country, to misquote Saint Ambrose; 'did as the Scotch did' and survived on oatcakes! As for Dr Johnson in his famous dictionary of the English Language, published 1755, under the entry for the grain he wrote: 'Oats n.s. [aten, Saxon.] A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.'
To which the writer Walter Scott returned: 'Did you ever hear of Lord Elibank's reply when Johnson's famous definition of oats was first pointed out to him?
"The food of men in Scotland and horses in England," repeated Lord Elibank; "very true, and where will you find such men and such horses?"'¹

Below a pair of our family's Highland cob crosses, neither of whom would be averse to an oat cake!

 

FOREWORD on Gluten-free Oats

Oats do not contain gluten, however it is best not to buy them, if you are gluten intolerant, unless they are labelled as certified gluten-free. In countries where oats are not a traditional crop, fields can be contaminated by stray plants when other cereal crops are grown in close proximity. Here in France, for example, where there were no dedicated oat-growing areas, we used to find it impossible to buy certified organic gluten-free oats. However, due to the ever increasing popularity of gluten-free foods and international cuisine, we are now seeing certified oats on the shelves. It is also worth noting that post harvest, certified gluten-free oats are processed in dedicated mills where they can not be contaminated with other grains. This is why people often get confused about why all oats are not labelled as suitable for those allergic to gluten.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 10 large cookies

2½ cups - 200g - 8oz rolled oats liquidised or ground into a coarse flour

A generous pinch of salt

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 tablespoons of raw cane sugar

¾ cup - 200ml - ⅓ pint of raw milk

Handful of raisins, pre-soaked in a little white wine ( or cold black tea)

¼ teaspoon of mixed spice ('mixed spice' is a traditional British pie, pudding, biscuit and cake blend, made from, ground coriander, cassia, ginger, nutmeg, caraway and cloves). Apple pie spice is similar and do add more if you like a spicier cookie.

The zest of half a medium lemon.

Icing sugar for dusting

Lard for greasing 

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 355°F - 180°C

Grind the oats, don't make them too fine or you'll lose the lovely chewy nature of the oat.

Using a liquidiser or coffee grinder, only grind a small amount (2oz - 50g) at a time and pulse the liquidiser, this stops the oats getting too hot as this spoils the flavour.

Put the ground oats into a mixing bowl or jug and add a pinch of salt, the sugar, mixed spice and the bicarbonate of soda.

Add the milk whilst whisking.

Drain the raisins off the wine and add them to the mix, stirring in with a spoon. Add the lemon zest.

Leave the batter to thicken for around 5 minutes.

I shot the griddle cooking of the cookies as they rose and expanded on the griddle, so you can get a sort of flicker book idea of movement if you run the images quickly one after the other.

Add one teaspoon of fat to the warmed pan and make sure it coats the whole surface.

Each cookie is made from one dessert spoon of the batter which is placed onto the griddle. Make sure you do not overcrowd the pan as each heap of batter needs room to expand.

The cookies are ready for turning over when bubbles appear in the batter and it no longer has a wet look to it.

Keep checking each cookie once you have turned it to make sure it doesn't burn.

Once cooked, put them on a warmed plate or in the warming drawer of your cooker.

Repeat the process until all the batter is used.

Place all the cookies on a lightly greased tray and place them in the oven (middle shelf) for approximately 5 minutes, this crisps them on the outside but they will still be soft and chewy on the inside. If you cook them longer they become more 'biscuity'.

Place on a cooling rack and when they are still just slightly warm, sprinkle with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

If you have enjoyed this recipe and found it useful think about sharing it with your family and friends, on social media and also maybe about joining this blog and/or subscribing to my Youtube, Odysee  or BitChute Channel or even supporting us on Patreon or

It all helps to keep me going!

Hope to see you here again for another recipe from an old farmhouse in Normandie,

All the very best,
Sue

©  Sue Cross 2023

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¹ Letter from Sir Walter Scott to Mr Croker March 14th 1829, The Croker Papers Vol ii p. 35

 

 

 

Scottish Oatcakes, Organic Gluten-free Recipe, Raw Normandie Goats' Cheese and Dr Johnson's Dictionary.

This is the beautiful and romantic Lake of Menteith on the Carse of Stirling, it also has the distinction of being Scotland's only lake. On one of its three islands, Inchmahome, is the the 13th century priory of the Black Canons, once a place of sanctuary to Mary Queen of Scots and Robert the Bruce. The island is also the final resting place of the romantic and charismatic couple The Gaucho or Don Roberto and Gabriela de la Balmondière, 'La Española', who were in fact the 19th Laird of Ardoch, Robert Cunninghame Graham and his wife, a stage-struck bohemian poet and beauty from the Yorkshire Ridings. Their incredible fairytale life is well worth researching. It is also home, when the weather permits and the lakewater freezes over, to the world famous Bonspiel curling tournament. Nearby is the Highland Boundary Fault which, as the name suggests divides the Lowlands from the Highlands - the land of the oatcake. Traditionally each community had its mill with which the local crofters ground the oats, the only crop that would grow in the harsh Northern climate. The oatmeal was used to make porridge, of course but also oatcakes, often referred to as 'the bread of Scotland'.

As the recipe for the oatcake was handed down through families, it is difficult to know its exact origins. However, like the ancient Mongolians, who used their shields to cook their food, documents show that in the 14th century the Chieftain and his clan used theirs to bake oatcakes. It is even believed that the Romans, whilst in the country, to misquote Saint Ambrose; 'did as the Scotch did' and survived on oatcakes!

As for Dr Johnson in his famous dictionary of the English Language, published 1755, under the entry for the grain he wrote: 'Oats n.s. [aten, Saxon.] A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.'

To which the writer Walter Scott returned: 'Did you ever hear of Lord Elibank's reply when Johnson's famous definition of oats was first pointed out to him? 

"The food of men in Scotland and horses in England," repeated Lord Elibank; "very true, and where will you find such men and such horses?"'¹

 

Gluten-free oats

Oats do not contain gluten, however it is best not to buy and use them, if you are gluten intolerant, unless they are labelled gluten-free. Oats can be contaminated by stray plants when other cereal crops are grown in close proximity. For this reason countries like France, where there are no large dedicated  oat-growing areas, can not guarantee their oats to be gluten-free. This is why people often get confused about why all oats are not labelled as suitable for those allergic to gluten.

Ingredients

 
225g - 8oz rolled oats
1 generous pinch salt
1 tablespoon butter or butter and palm oil, dripping, bacon fat or lard
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 8 tablespoons of hot water Extra oats for sprinkling

Method

 

Chop up oats using a coffee grinder for a few seconds so as to retain the texture of the oats without making a flour.

Mix the dry ingredients and add the melted fat by pouring into the centre of the mixture.

Using a wooden spoon handle stir well whilst incorporating enough water to make a stiff dough.

Powder your hands, bowl or board with chopped oats or oat flour and knead the dough, working quickly.

Using plenty of chopped oats, roll out either into a thin round or divide dough into half and roll into two rounds (traditional).

Traditionally the rounds are then marked out into wedges but we roll thinly and cut out biscuit shapes.

Place on a buttered baking tray put in an oven pre-heated to 390°F or 200°C. Cook for approximately 20-30 minutes. Or, if you decide to make the traditional wedges, cook on a medium heated griddle or frying pan for approximately 3 minutes. When they are cooked the edges will begin to curl and turn golden brown.

These can be eaten with any of your favourite cheeses. Traditionally they are eaten with honey, game, smoked salmon, soup and cheese. Below is one of our favourites raw local organic fresh goats' cheese rolled in herbes de Provence and cornflower petals - delicious!

Now meet some of the goats, just in from the fields and having their supper in the barn.

Thanks for dropping by and if you have found this post enjoyable please share and do feel free to comment and/or ask questions.
All the best,
Sue

The End

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© 2014 Sue Cross
¹ Letter from Sir Walter Scott to Mr Croker March 14th 1829, The Croker Papers Vol ii p. 35