Nova Scotia Oat Cakes

Friday 23 October 2020


Nova Scotia Oat Cakes

 



In honor of my impending departure from these lush and green lands, I thought I would make a Nova Scotia recipe for us all to enjoy. Nova Scotia is the province in Canada that I am from and where I am returning.


Known for it's great beauty and humble people the early settlers christened it after their home land. New Scotland.  I expect it reminded them very much of Scotland. Having been to Scotland now myself, I can see many similarities.







I have baked Scottish Oatcakes on here before. You can find that recipe here.  They are very good. I adapted the recipe from one which I saw on the Netflix series Martha Bakes.



They are crisp and buttery and quite sweet. I think they are more like a cookie than anything else, but they do go incredibly great with a good cheese. 







I confess right now, although I spent most of my life in Nova Scotia prior to coming here to the UK, I had never had an Oat Cake.  I expect they are mostly a Cape Breton thing, because that is where a lot of the Scots ended up.

 

My sister, however, has always spoken with great fondness of the Oat Cakes you can get at the Costco in Halifax.  I wanted to try them. Now I suppose I will have my chance!  Somehow I doubt they will be as good as homemade ones however.



Nova Scotia Oat Cakes

 



The dough for these is a very simple make, and involves the use of very simple ingredients.  Flour, old fashioned rolled oats, salt, butter, brown sugar and some baking powder.



You can add a touch of vanilla. I used a smidgen of vanilla paste as I am trying to use it up before I need to pack everything away. I don't think I can bring much in the way of food with me when I go, if anything at all. (I am so hoping I don't have to give everything up.)



Nova Scotia Oat Cakes

 


You roll the dough out into a rectangle with a rolling pin.  I love my beechwood rolling pin. I have never had such a beauty before in my life, and it is probably one of the best rolling pins I have ever had.


It is nice and heavy and does a great job of rolling things out. You will need a rectangle about 5 inches by 11 inches in size and about 1/4 inch in thickness.



Nova Scotia Oat Cakes

 



Once that is done you need to cut them. They should be cut into rectangles.  I did a long cut down the centre of the length, cutting it in half that way.



Then I made six evenly spaced cuts the other way. This creates 12 nicely sized oat cakes.



Nova Scotia Oat Cakes

 


Place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  I used a spatula to do this so I didn't risk them breaking apart.


You don't really need to leave a lot of space between.  Just enough for the air to circulate so that the edges can get nice and crisp.








You want the edges to be nice and golden brown. This is a good indicator of their doneness.  Don't let them burn.



You let them cool completely on the baking sheet.  This will ensure that they are lovely and crisp. I love crisp oat cakes. I do, I do, I do  . . .



Nova Scotia Oat Cakes

 



They do puff up a bit in the oven.  But they are lovely and crisp and will crisp up even more when they cool down.



Perfect for dunking. In a hot cuppa. In a glass of milk.  In a hot cocoa. In a horlicks. In an Ovaltine. In anything.  I bet if you were a hot toddy kind of a person they would even be great dunked in that!




Nova Scotia Oat Cakes




You don't have to cut them apart prior to baking. You can just score the dough with a sharp knife into 12 rectangles right on the tray. 



Don't cut all the way through.  This will result in softer oat cakes.  Its all dependant on the result you wish for.



Nova Scotia Oat Cakes



Soft and a bit chew, or short and crisp. In all truth delicious both ways. I am a crisp cookie/biscuit lover. So I am.


I am actually really looking forward to my move. To seeing family again and being near my babies and grandbabies.  To be able to spend some time with my pa before he goes to be with my ma.  He is 86 now and will be 87 in January.



Nova Scotia Oat Cakes



 I pray every day that he lives long enough for me to be there and to have some time to spend with him. We do speak often on facetime, which is nice, but the real thing will be so much better.



I am looking forward to baking with my grandchildren given the chance. We might even bake these.  I have 8 grandchildren. 7 boys and one girl.






The oldest five boys are well acquainted with me. My two older sons are very good at facetiming and such. Oh but it will be good to give them all a hug when the time comes.



It has been 8 years since I have been home and since I have seen my children and grandchildren.  Two have been born since then.  Both boys. One just recently.



Nova Scotia Oat Cakes



I have never gotten to spend any time when them when they were wee babies. I am hoping and praying that I will be able to spend some time with this last one before he gets out of the baby stage.



There is something lovely about wee babies. Those little noises they make, the way they snuggle into your neck.  The smell of their little heads.



Nova Scotia Oat Cakes




I just can't wait.  I have high hopes and I hope they are not dashed.  Wish me luck! 



I am hoping to be gone from here by the end of November. I will have to isolate for two weeks before I can be with anyone.  I am a bit slow at getting things started, but expect that things will go pretty quickly once everything is set in motion.






In the meantime I hope that I can continue to bake a few things like these fabulously oaty Nova Scotia Oat Cakes.  And I hope that you will enjoy them.


And then when I get to the flip side, it may be a few days, but hopefully not long.  I expect to be up and running in one way or another rather quickly.



In the meantime do enjoy these Nova Scotia Oat Cakes. Baked with love.

 

Nova Scotia Oat Cakes

Print
Nova Scotia Oat Cakes
Yield: Makes 12 cakes
Author: Marie Rayner
prep time: 10 Mincook time: 15 Mintotal time: 25 Min
Buttery, crisply moreish oaten biscuits. Incredibly delicious with a hot cuppa.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (90g) old fashioned oats (rolled/large flake)
  • 3/4 cup (115g) plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup (115g) butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup packed (100g) soft light brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.
  2. Whisk the oats, flour, salt and baking powder together in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Using an electric whisk, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Add the brown sugar and vanilla. Beat for a further 2 minutes until well creamed and smooth.  Add the dry ingredients a bit at a time, until all have been amalgamated and the dough is beginning to clump together.  Knead for a few turns to bring it completely together.
  4. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Pat into a rectangle shape and then roll out with a rolling pin  to a 5 by 11 inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife cut into 12 evenly sized rectangles. (One cut down horizontally and six across.)
  5. Carefully transfer to the baking sheet.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes until perfectly set, and the edges are golden brown. Place the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
  7. They will crisp up more as they cool. Store in an airtight container.

notes:

These are great with a hot cup of tea. You can also lightly butter them. Fabulous with slices of good cheddar cheese, fruit, lemon curd, jam, etc.
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Nova Scotia Oat Cakes



The oats cakes from the mainland tend to be a bit thicker and softer. These ones are more like the ones from Cake Breton Island which tend to be crisper. Both a delicious, however I hold a certain fondness for anything that is crisp and buttery. 


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27 comments

  1. Crisp and buttery is right up my street. These sound really nice, easy to make and made from ingredients that I already have at home - bonus! Thanks for the tip about cooling them completely on the baking tray - my first instinct is always to remove them to a wire rack.

    It's always interesting to see how a recipe from one region travels via migrants to another country and is adapted to suit the new place.

    Your family are in for a treat when you come home. As are you - the chance to watch the grandchildren grow up and be part of their lives is the one huge silver lining in this dark cloud. Stay strong, my friend - you are almost there.

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    1. You are so right about that Marie and it is the one thing which keeps me going! I can't wait. Just have to get through the hard stuff first, but it will be worth it! I love the history of foods as I can you also do. I find it very fascinating! Love and hugs, xoxo

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  2. These sound amazing. I'm going to bake them today. Have a good trip home. All the family is waiting !!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I Hope you enjoy these oat cakes! I think that you will! xoxo

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  3. Yummmmo!You will be happy Marie I know it!

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    1. Thanks Monique. I believe you are right! 100% Just some hard stuff to get through first! xoxo

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  4. I love your tennis set! Yes, I did notice the oatcakes but I love china, lol.

    Safe travels.

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    1. thank you so much! A Charity shop find. xoxo

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  5. I'm a fellow crisp cookie/biscuit gal. These sound similar to a cookie/biscuit recipe that my great gran found on the back of an oatmeal canister. The oatmeal company was Jewell Oatmeal. These are a family tradition now and we all have the recipe in our cookbooks. These are my favorite cookie.

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    1. Family favourite recipes are the best kind MYFAWNWY! Thanks! xoxo

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  6. Crispy oat cakes for the win, gotta be crispy!


    What a relief it will be to get home safe within the love of your family and how nice to imagine even a small bit of the suffocating anxiety brought about by this dreadful pandemic being replaced with fun kitchen activities with your grands. They must be over the moon with excitement to see you.

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    1. Oh yes and these are! They get better each day! My grands are so looking forward to me being around. Me too! xoxo

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  7. They are incredibly moreish Laurie! Thanks! xoxo

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  8. Marie,
    Can't wait to try these (as well as the Scottish Oatcakes)- oatcakes are a favorite of ours! They make a cup of tea even better and just as good with a thin slice of good cheddar. Is there a bad way to eat them? Impossible!

    Sending lots of patience and energy as you pack - such a huge job! But I'm sure the thought of being near family will make it a little easier. I suspect it's a little bitter-sweet, though. God bless, Marie.

    Deb

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    1. Thanks very much Deb. Much more than bitter-sweet, but a good thing nonetheless. These oat cakes are amazing! xoxo

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  9. These will be so delicious. I love all the ingredients and together they will be a wow. Thanks for this.

    I hope all goes well with the move. I daresay I have a better chance of getting to Nova Scotia than I do to Chester so maybe one day we'll meet up! I've always wanted to visit there! Take care.

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    1. Thanks very much Jeanie. Yes, we will be a whole lot closer. I am also hoping I will be able to afford a two bedroom place so I have a space for people to visi and sleep! xoxo

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  10. Super easy to make and super tasty to eat! This recipe is a winner! I added some almond extract for some extra flavour.

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  11. Just made these for the 1ST time. Simple ingredients easy to make and delicious just like I remember from 1965. Thank you for the memories.

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    Replies
    1. You are so welcome! Thank YOU for taking the time to share your experience with us! It is much appreciated. So pleased you enjoyed! xo

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  12. Oh... my... just made these today and they are LOVELY! I'm gonna have to send them to work with my daughter tomorrow morning because I won't trust myself to be reasonable about them. LOL Nothing to NOT love about them!

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  13. We were on a cruise around Nova Scotia in 2018, and stopped in Sydney. While on a tour, we stopped at the Jost House Museum for some nice warming tea and were served oatcakes. They were delicious! I asked about the recipe and they said they sold postcards with the recipe on back as a fund raiser. Of course I bought 4 for myself and friends. When I tried to make mine, they came out flat and thin. I may have done something wrong. But I'm going to try following your recipe & instructions and give it another shot, since they were so good. Thank you, Val

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  14. your Nova Scotia oatcakes remind me of growing up in the 1950s in Carleton Place Ontario,my grandmother used to bake your recipe and I remember them well as we had afternoon tea every day when I got home from school.Must try making them again.

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    1. I hope that you do and that you enjoy them every bit as much now as you did then!

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