Oatcakes

For anyone sles who might not know... looked up Jicama.

jicama (pronounced HICK-ah-mah)
This tuber looks like a seriously overgrown radish and is the root of a vine native to Mexico and Central America. The flesh is crunchy, mild, and even faintly sweet, and is often served with a little lime juice and chile powder to accompany Mexican dishes.

I like vegetable crisps too. my parsnip was cut too thick to make a crisp. It is more chewy and kept its circle shape.. but to be honest Im bored with them already. Had one this morning though while waiting for my eggs to boil.

wonder what it would be like if you grated veg eg courgette into the flaxseed when making the flax crackers. My ancestors worked with flax in the linen industry but lost their jobs when the cheap US cotton imports arrived. Wonder if they nibbled the flax seeds while they worked?!

SPARKLES.

Hi all,

Well I called at Tescos this morning looking for flax seeds. I couldnt find them but did find
'brown linseeds' can you tell me are they the same thing and can I make the flax crackers with them? I so hope so!!

Oh yes and after a conversation on here re baby food I checked the baby food isles and was suprised to see several types of baby biscuits with quite low carbs.. even a chocolate coated one which was only about 3gn carb per biscuit. I had to tear myself away. One ended up in my trolly (but my guilt got the better of me and I put it back. How good am I!

I'm also really pleased because I called at a car boot and found a brilliant pancake pan. I'm determined to bring the staple Yorkshire Oatcake back to Yorkshire. (but first I have to teach myself how to make it!) I know that in the 1700ish, they were a common staple and that they were made by letting some of the mix ferment in a warm place for a few days and then adding a bit to some new mix. Well thats how I think it was done. Did you find a recipe vivian? I did find a few variations on line, so dont worry if you didn't. I think these oatcakes will be plate sized and more like a pancake than a little hard oatcake. Cant wait to try and make one. But first to make some flax crackers... assuming I bought the right seeds.
SPARKLES

Hi Smidge and Wiflib
Thanks for that! I thought they were the same thing -but good to be sure. Linseed oil, is NOT safe or good for cooking with is it though I’m sure I read that somewhere. Shame about the spikes with quinoa and couscous. I will have to hope they don’t affect me. 2 new words for me there (bolus and apidra ) to look up. Lots of learning going on here.
Wiflib … thanks too I had wondered if there was a difference between the golden and brown seeds so you’ve answered that one. The fluid intake is a great tip. I shall have to be careful with these crackers as I’m sure after two weeks of no starchy stodge I will want to binge. Moderation is called for!
Now to make them!
SPARKLES

OK. I made my batch of linseed crackers. I ground abut just over half of a 250 gm bag linseed. Took about a cup full, added wild garlic (dried green leafy from a jar) and garlic powder, about a square inch of grated cheddar, a teaspoon full of slivered almonds for texture, salt and pepper and water. I spread the mix in 2 round foil pastry cases and put greaseproof paper over them. Baked in oven at 200*. Good news is that they stayed in one piece and came out of the foil easily but the greaseproof paper stuck and I must remember to oil it next time. Cut each into quarters so had 8 but a couple broke. Chewy rather than crispy and not unpleasant but a bit too salty and too garlicky for my liking -will adjust that next time. I’ll try the trick of crisping them in the microwave tomorrow.

I also experimented making some Flax, apple, raisin and cinnamon muffins. And I particularly like these. Not strictly kosher as I ground 2 dessert spoons of porridge oats and also added 2 dessert spoons of bran ‘twigs’ (morrisons) to the mix. I ground up a dessert spooon ful of raisins adding a bit of the ground oats to stop it clogging my electric coffee grinder. I roughly chopped an apple (quite large pieces) and threw in a spoonful of whole raisins and ¼ cup of granulated sweetner. . And a heaped teaspoon of cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg. All these dry ingredients went in one bowl. In a separate bowl I mixed yoghurt (slightly more than a small pot) ¼ cup of oil and 2 eggs- all beaten together. Then mixed the liquid batter to the dry ingredients. I oiled the muffin pan and filled 7 muffin holes with the mix and baked at 200* on the middle shelf while the cracker went on the top. The muffins rose beautifully but I was impatient and tried to get them out the pans while still hot. Some stuck but I got about 5 breakfast muffins. I don’t know what the would be like sugar/carbo wise what with the bran, oats, raisins and apple but there was not so much of the first three and the mix made 7 muffins which would be eaten on different days. I think I shall try freezing some, I liked these. I had the breakages for pudding with a spoonfull of cremefresh. It reminded me a lot of bread and butter pudding.

So all in all I consider it a successful first attempt. The chewy garlicky crackers by the way remind me of some Lithuanian Rye Bread which is fried up with garlic and served with eggs on top for breakfast. (only my crackers don’t need more garlic!!! So I might try them fried with eggs one morning.

Thanks for all your help everyone.
SPARKLES

forgot to mention I also put a teaspoon full of baking powder into the dry ingredients of the muffin mixture. Also just tested my BG and it was 5.7 (a few hours after eating the muffin bits and cremefresh.
Sparkles.

just in case anyone is interested. Holland and Barratts have their flax seeds on at half price at the moment. Not sure until how long.
Sparkles.

Hi all,

I will post a few oatcake recipes I found on a site about yorkshire cooking here. First here are two of the recipes for oatcakes made from a battter mix.

Oatcake (Haverbread) Recipe Using Batter

“Oatcakes can be eaten hot from the griddle, with or without butter, but they were traditionally left to cool when they become dry and crisp. They are usually eaten buttered and go well with either a savoury or a sweet topping.”


Oatcake (batter method): 1
Ingredients:
8 oz very fine oatmeal
or 5 oz fine/medium oatmeal and 3 oz plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 pint milk
1/2 pint water
1/2 teaspoon salt.

Method:
Mix the oatmeal, bicarbonate of soda and salt together.
Add the milk and water to form a thin batter.
Heat a lightly greased griddle or heavy frying pan.
Pour a little of the mixture onto the griddle or frying pan and spread it with a spatula.
After about 2/3 minutes, when the edges are beginning to dry, slide a palette knife under and turn the cake.
Cook as long again.
Place the cake on a clean cloth to cool.
The mixture makes about 8 cakes.

Cooking time:
4 to 6 minutes for each cake.

Oatcake (Haverbread) Recipe Using Batter

Oatcake (batter method): 3
Ingredients:
6 oz fine oatmeal
3 oz plain flour
1 pint milk and water
1 oz yeast
1 very level teaspoon salt.

Method:
Mix together flour, salt and oatmeal.
Warm the milk and water and stir into the dry ingredients gradually to make a smooth batter.
Crumble in the yeast and stir gently.
Leave to stand in a warm place for 20 minutes.
Heat a strong, well-greased frying pan.
Stir the batter again.
Pour enough into the pan to cover the base fairly thinly.
Turn out when cooked.

Cooking time:
A few minutes until set.


Sparkles

I cant seem to find the site I found these recipes on. I'll have another look and try to put a link in case anyone else is interested. Patch, if you are looking for a coffee grinder I can reccomend ours which is an electric one. Its cery old and I dont know what make. but its a sturdy little thing and takes no time at all to gring flax or coffee beans.

but now back to yorkshire oatcakes. I'm on a mission... a yorkshire lass bringing the oatcakes home... I love the idea of having a bread creel hanging from my kitchen ceiling full of these.. it seems they might go hard and crispy when left like that. but Hey... oats are so cheap. why did something which was so staple go out of fashion I wonder? wonder if it was when kitchens no longer had the backstone? or when wheat was introduced to yorkshire crops and tastes changed??

anyway... more recipes and please... if anyone tries them... please will you make a post about it and what you thought of them.

“The traditional method of making oatcakes (riddle cakes) is to use a dropping batter. It can be a complicated process but results in lighter cakes. The batter is dropped on to the riddle - or on to a wooden board known as a backboard - which is covered with a layer of fine or medium oatmeal, and shaken to spread it to the correct thickness. It is then slid off the riddle onto a board covered in muslin to prevent them sticking. When several are ready, they are slid off or flipped (depending on how daring you are) onto the hot backstone. A pastry board coated with oatmeal and a large spatula should suffice today for experimenting with this traditional method of preparation. The recipes I have are less adventurous and go for the simpler method of dropping the batter directly onto the griddle.”

The dough method of making oatcakes is a simple process. The dough may be divided into pieces and flattened with the hands (clapbread) or it can be rolled out and cut into circles, squares or triangles. This type of oatcake is often baked in the oven rather than on a griddle or backstone.


Oatcake (Haverbread) Recipe Using Dough


Oatcake (dough method): 1
Ingredients:
8 oz medium oatmeal
1 oz fine oatmeal
1 level teaspoon salt
1 1/2 oz butter
1/2 pint boiling water.

Method:
Mix the salt with the oatmeal.
Melt the butter and put it in a half pint jug.
Fill up the jug with the boiling water and pour into the oatmeal.
Beat well together.
When cooled, knead it to a dough.
Sprinkle a board with fine oatmeal and roll out dough very thinly.
Cut into triangles.
Cook on a moderately hot griddle until crisp.

Cooking time:
About 10 minutes.



Oatcake (Haverbread) Recipe Using Dough


Oatcake (dough method): 3
Ingredients:
8 oz medium oatmeal
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup boiling water
2 oz margarine
1 teaspoon salt.

Method:
Pour the milk, water and melted margarine on to the oatmeal.
Mix well.
Pat into thin cakes with hands.
Cook on a greased baking sheet until crisp and pale brown.

Baking time:
In a moderate oven until pale brown.


Sparkles

Ok, here is the link to the site of the above recipes.

http://www.inkamera.ukgo.com/chrisyy/index.htm

....Yorkshire puddings... hmmmm My Gran's were the best ever!!!! I had them three times in one meal! - Before with meatly gravy (a single full plate one) during the main meal with meat and veg (2 small ones) and after as a pudding (2 small ones) spread with jam. Yummmmmm!
.... My good ol' Gran!!!
sadly, I think those days are gone.

But the memory lives on!

I also love curd tart and notice the site tells how to make the curds... in different ways.
A Great site!

Sparkles.

patch and co...

forgot to say, I made a second batch of the flax crackers. This time I didnt put so much garlic in them and I didnt put slivered almonds in either.. so this lot were not so textured. I also didnt add salt but afterwards wished I had. I did cut olives in half and pressed the halves into the top. THey looked pretty but the finished crackers were not crispy and took longer to crisp up in the microwave. (now was that the olive's fault or did I not cook them long enough in the oven I wonder? )

A tip I read and shall try next time is to sprinkle the unground seeds on the top. I also bought some pumpkin and seseme seeds now for this purpose. I wasnt too impressed with this second batch ok but nothing special... I think the next time I'll add a little salt and garlic, crcked peppercorns and some wholeseeds on top.
I' ll crack it yet!
crackers!!
... duh! excuse the pun.
Sparkles.

just had my first attempt at making yorkshire oatcaakes using this recipe

Yorkshire Oatcakes Recipe
1 lb Fine oatmeal
1/2 oz Fresh yeast
1 ts Salt (scant)
Water at blood heat

Put the oatmeal and salt in a bowl.
Cream the yeast with a teacupful of water,
leave it to rise to a creamy froth.
Mix into the oatmeal and add more water until the batter is like a thick cream.
A ladleful is thrown onto the heated griddle or bakestone, in a narrow strip.
It immediately puffs up with steam,
which makes it smooth underneath and rough on top.
When baked it is damp and flexible
Hang on rack.

ha! first get them to form anything that will hang on a rack!! I started with a thick mixture and had to keep thinnig it until it made pancake shapes. nice big ones that I could toss. But we were not impressed with the taste and very stodgy. I got tired after some time of experimenting and have half a bowl of batter left. I'll leave it and try agaon tomorrow. I feel too full now.... oh dear!
sparkles.