Scotch food made from oatmeal, and is perhaps
the food most quickly cooked of any used by
civilised men. The process is as follows : — Put
a handful of oatmeal into a good-sized basin,
add a large pinch of salt, pour about a pint of
boiling water over it, stir with the handle of a
spoon, when the meal will form little lumps.
Do not break the lumps, but pom- in half a pint
of either sweet milk or buttermilk, and the
cooking will be complete. Eat immediately
after cooking. Some add a piece of butter,
but the brose is more wholesome without it ;
indeed, all preparations of oatmeal are more
wholesome without the addition of any fatty
substance, the oatmeal having quite enough of
the heat-producing element in itself. This is a
common breakfast among Scotch ploughmen in
some districts. It cannot be recommended to
sedentary persons.
Scotch Oatmeal Cakes. — For oaten
cakes, take some meal, mix with it a little salt
and melted suet and sufficient water to work it I
into a thick dough, roll out into a cake as thin
as possible, divide into quarters, and spread out
on the "girdle" (a flat circular piece of iron
about eighteen inches in diameter, suspended
over the fire), and bake each side in turn. The
cakes must then be toasted before the fire till
they are cui-led and crisp. They must be crisp
and brittle to be palatable.
Scotch Oatm.eal Cakes (another way).
— Oat-cake, or bannocks, should be made from
meal as fine as can be got, and as newly ground
as possible. The meal should be saturated
with lukewarm water, and as much salt as can
be lifted between the finger and thumb for
each cake ; stir about well, and squeeze through
the fingers, adding dry meal until the mass is
of the consistency of dough (all this should be
done in a basin) ; then spread some dry meal
on the " bake-board," flatten the dough with
the knuckles of both hands until nearly the
size wanted ; smooth and finish with a rolling-
pin. Crimp with the thumb all round the
edge, but do not cut it in any way. It is now j
ready for the girdle. Now for the "firing,"
which is of as much importance as the " baking."
The fire must be clear, and free from smoke ;
as a precaution, thi-ow some salt on. The
girdle should be of maUe^ble iron, and a
quarter of an inch thick, with a bow handle.
Heat tiU salt crackles on it, brush it clean, and
put on the bannock. Give it an occasional
turn while on its fiat, so that it may be
equally done. Take it oH with the spurtle — an
instrument made of thin flat iron, shaped like a
heart, with a handle — to see if well bro^vned.
If the bannocks are to be "scoudered" do
them on the other side the same way ; but they
are much better to have the other side done
before the fire on the toaster, this will give
them a beautiful curl, and make them nice and
crisp. Then you will have real Scotch oatmeal
bannocks✪ Scotch Oatmeal Bannocks.
Scotch Oatmeal Cakes (another way). ✪ Scotch Oatmeal Cakes
Page 1741 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Scotch food made from oatmeal, and is perhaps the food most quickly cooked of any used by civilised men. The process is as follows : — Put a handful of oatmeal into a good-sized basin, add a large pinch of salt, pour about a pint of boiling water over it, stir with the handle of a spoon, when the meal will form little lumps. Do not break the lumps, but pour in half a pint of either sweet milk or buttermilk, and the cooking will be complete. Eat immediately after cooking. Some add a piece of butter, but the brose is more wholesome without it ; indeed, all preparations of oatmeal are more wholesome without the addition of any fatty substance, the oatmeal having quite enough of the heat-producing element in itself. This is a common breakfast among Scotch ploughmen in some districts. It cannot be recommended to sedentary persons.
Scotch Oatmeal Cakes. — For oaten cakes, take some meal, mix with it a little salt and melted suet and sufficient water to work it I into a thick dough, roll out into a cake as thin as possible, divide into quarters, and spread out on the "girdle" (a flat circular piece of iron about eighteen inches in diameter, suspended over the fire), and bake each side in turn. The cakes must then be toasted before the fire till they are cui-led and crisp. They must be crisp and brittle to be palatable.
Scotch Oatmeal Cakes (another way).
— Oat-cake, or bannocks, should be made from meal as fine as can be got, and as newly ground as possible. The meal should be saturated with lukewarm water, and as much salt as can be lifted between the finger and thumb for each cake ; stir about well, and squeeze through the fingers, adding dry meal until the mass is of the consistency of dough (all this should be done in a basin) ; then spread some dry meal on the " bake-board," flatten the dough with the knuckles of both hands until nearly the size wanted ; smooth and finish with a rollingpin. Crimp with the thumb all round the edge, but do not cut it in any way. It is now j ready for the girdle. Now for the "firing," which is of as much importance as the " baking." The fire must be clear, and free from smoke ; as a precaution, throw some salt on. The girdle should be of malleable iron, and a quarter of an inch thick, with a bow handle. Heat tiU salt crackles on it, brush it clean, and put on the bannock. Give it an occasional turn while on its fiat, so that it may be equally done. Take it oH with the spurtle — an instrument made of thin flat iron, shaped like a heart, with a handle — to see if well browned. If the bannocks are to be "scoudered" do them on the other side the same way ; but they are much better to have the other side done before the fire on the toaster, this will give them a beautiful curl, and make them nice and
crisp. Then you will have real Scotch oatmeal bannocks.
Scotch Oatmeal Cakes (another way).
Records on this page
Scotch Oatmeal BannocksScotch Oatmeal Cakes