Rosemary Oatcakes

We can’t possibly post from Scotland and not include oatcakes! An easy way to impress when you bring your cheese board out, oatcakes are deceptively simple and once you start making homemade oatcakes, the shop-bought kind quickly lose their appeal. These are the perfect bases to get creative – let your imagination run riot with flavour combinations…cracked pepper, thyme, grated lemon…...



When Jacqueline said she wasn't feeling well and I persuaded her to make soup, I thought I would bake some oatcakes and eat them in spirit with her. With her tiredness in mind, I thought I would put together an oatcake which would help boost her back up to her normal sunshine-self!

Oats have long been a staple of the Scottish diet - there is something so hearty and filling about them, whether they are made into porridge, on top of a crumble or in an oatcake. They are one of those magic ingredients which are able to help maintain energy levels throughout the day whilst regulating healthy blood sugar levels. This means you should have some form of oats if you are ever feeling lethargic or low. However, oats are not the only ingredient to have hidden benefits! Rosemary is naturally full of antioxidants and can help relieve digestive disorders and headaches. It helps to stimulate your liver to work more effectively, making you feel more energetic and healthy. Baking oatcakes with the added medicinal qualities of rosemary sounds like the perfect combination and should get Jacqueline up and about in no time!

Makes approx 20-25 5cm Oatcakes

200g or 1 1/2 Cups fine Oatmeal
50g or 1/2 Cup rolled Oats
2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
4 tbsp Olive Oil
100ml warm/just boiled Water
A pinch of Salt

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F

Combine the oatmeal, oats, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl. Roughly chop the rosemary and add it to the dry mix. Measure out the olive oil and then add the olive oil and water to the ingredients in the bowl to form a firm, slightly sticky dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until about 2mm thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut out rounds from the dough, rerolling the scraps until all the dough is used up.

Place the rounds on a greased or lined baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool on a wire rack and then munch away! The oatcakes will keep for up to a week, stored in an airtight container.

Oatcakes go well with all sorts of cheeses, soup (I recommend J's Carrot and Watercress!) or spread with hummous or avocado! If you are not tempted by flavoured oatcakes, you could make them plainn by omitting the rosemary.

Charlotte