Scottish Bannocks or Oatcakes
Directions
- 1Combine oatmeal, salt and baking soda in a bowl.
- 2Melt the butter, and drizzle it over the oats.
- 3Add the water, and stir the mix until it forms a stiff dough.
- 4Turn the dough out on a sheet of wax paper and knead thoroughly.
- 5Separate the dough into two equal portions, and roll each one into a ball.
- 6Use a rolling pin to make a flat pancake that is about ¼" thick.
- 7Cook your oatcakes on a griddle over medium heat until they are golden brown.
- 8Cut each round into quarters to serve.
- 9Sieve the flour and sugar into a bowl, add the yeast and mix well.
- 10Melt the butter and lard in a saucepan on a low heat.
- 11Remove as soon as it is melted.
- 12Warm the milk in another saucepan and then pour it into the melted fats.
- 13Create a hole in the middle of the flour, sugar and yeast and mix well into a smooth dough.
- 14Cover the bowl with a warm, damp towel (or plastic clingfilm) and leave in a warm location for 45 minutes.
- 15The dough will rise, doubling in size.
- 16Knead the dough (with flour on your hands to stop it sticking) for five minutes.
- 17Add the sultanas and mixed peel and knead well again for another five minutes.
- 18Place the dough in a loaf tin and cover with a plastic pollythene bag (tied at the top) and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes to allow it to rise again.
- 19Remove the tin from the bag and bake in a preheated oven at 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4 for an hour.
- 20Mix the tablespoon of milk and sugar.
- 21Remove the cake tin from the oven and place on a heat-resistant surface.
- 22Brush the top with the milk and sugar, using a pastry brush.
- 23Return the cake tin to the oven (using oven gloves - it's still hot) and bake for another twenty minutes.
- 24Test with a skewer - if it is wet, continue baking for another ten minutes.
- 25Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing.
- 26Store in an airtight container.
- 27Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and combine: 4 cups sifted flour, 1/2 cup ground almonds, 2 cups sugar, 1 tube almond paste, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 5 eggs.
- 28When dough is worked to medium soft, shape into flattened balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
- 29Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- 30Cool, ice with white Solar Cross.
- 31Prepare and pre-bake a pie shell and have it ready in the pie dish.
- 32The pie filling will be warmed but not baked.
- 33Melt the butter in a wide cooking pan.
- 34In a separate bowl slowly add the milk to the cornstarch making sure it is fully dissolved and absorbed before adding more milk.
- 35When the cornstarch is fully blended add this and all the other ingredients, except the vanilla, to the cooking pan.
- 36Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick like a pudding.
- 37Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- 38Pour the mixture into the waiting pie shell and sprinkle with nutmeg
Ingredients
- 1.5 C oatmeal
- 0.125 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 0.5 cup hot water
- 1 lb flour
- 8 oz sultanas (seedless white raisins)
- 4 oz sugar
- 2 oz butter
- 2 oz lard
- 2 oz chopped mixed peel
- 0.25 pint milk
- 0.25 ounce dried yeast
- 1 tablespoon milk and sugar for the glaze
- 4 cups sifted flour
- 0.5 cup ground almonds
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tube almond paste
- 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup rich cream
- 0.5 cup butter
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 0.14 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ground nutmeg
Equipment
bowlrolling pingriddlewax paperloaf tinpastry brush
Tips
- Traditionally, the Beltane bannock would have been made with meat fat, such as bacon grease, instead of butter.
- You can use this if you prefer.
- To serve, split the bannocks and spread with butter.
- They’re excellent with soups or with a big dollop of honey.
- You could try this as a single loaf.
- I also like to make an almond biscuit with biscuit mix, almond extract, sugar, cinnamon, and eggs, but in smaller proportions.
- Traditionalists will use a heavy cast iron pan.
- the pie may be eaten while it is still warm as long as it has cooled just enough to set.
- Or the pie may be chilled and eaten later
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