When I decided to make a recipe for vegan oatcakes I thought that I would add a little something extra to it. Something to give them a little bit more nutrients, a boost of flavor, and make them just a bit unique.
Years and years ago I developed a recipe for scones (possibly my first real recipe creation) and in it I used slivered almonds which I ground up in the mortar and pestle, and dried blueberries. Because of the way I ground them the almond slivers they would end up with two consistencies. Some would be small chunks of almond that would add bites of flavor and just a bit of texture. The rest would be more finely ground, almost like almond flour, and would add a subtle almond flavor throughout.
I decided that for the vegan oatcake recipe I was developing I wanted to use a similar idea. So this recipe uses slivered almonds ground in a mortar and pestle, although you could always use a food processor or just chop them as well. Really I have just always had a thing for mortar and pestles, they are cool!
The dried blueberries for I switched for dried cranberries both because I thought the tartness of cranberries would work nicely in an oatcake, and because dried blueberries are ridiculously expensive. I personally really like using dried fruit in my cooking because it does not bleed color, change the moisture content, and is easy to store and always have on hand.
Oatcakes and I actually have a fairly long history. My father has always been a fan of them and would often pick on up as a snack when he saw them available. Somewhere along the way I picked up the habit from him. Then when I was in junior high my mother began university and would commute an hour to Halifax almost every day. She would often bring me home an oatcake from the campus cafe. Fluffy delicious and half covered in chocolate.
In high school my friends and I began to frequent a small local cafe and they had some of the most wonderful oatcakes I have ever eaten. They were much thinner than most oatcakes, almost leaning toward the resemblance of a cookie. It was these that I sought to inspiration from when I set out to make my own recipe for vegan oatcakes.
The recipe I eventually finished on actually had a bit more sugar than this one and if you like sweets than you can add a bit more in. I reduced it some partly because I end up eating a lot of oatcakes when they are around. But also because I wanted them to be something healthy I could have for breakfast. I am a terrible morning person and often have trouble finding time to have a bowl of cereal, let alone something good like a tofu breakfast sandwich, or french toast.
I also had the intention of having them be something I could grad a few of on my way out the door, for a quick breakfast. (Sadly I am a horrible morning person and am often rushed in the morning.)
The recipe turned out better than I had hoped, although it took a few trials, and produces flavorful vegan oatcakes that are also quite healthy.
What you Will Need:
- ½ cup Rolled Oats
- 1 cup Flour
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Vegan Margarine
- ¼ cup Vegan Butter Milk (I use Almond)
- ½ cup Slivered Almonds
- ½ cup Cranberries
How to Make Vegan Oatcakes:
Using a large mixing bowl, begin my creaming the sugar and vegan margarine together until well mixed.
In a second bowl combine the rolled oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour this mixture into the first bowl with the sugar and butter and mix.
Now you can add in the slivered almonds and dried cranberries. I grind the almonds in a mortar and pestle as I like the way the combination of small pieces and ground powder flavor the oatcakes. You could do this, or use a food processor, or just add in the almond slivers as they are. Mix the cranberries and almonds in with the rest.
Finally add in the vegan butter milk. Butter milk is achieved simply by adding a drop of vinegar or lemon juice to your preferred milk and letting it sit for a minute. Stir this into the mix, trying to make it evenly damp.
You may find using your hands helps at this point. Squeezing everything together.
Empty the contents onto a clean counter and using a rolling pin roll the dough until it is between a ¼ and a ½ inch thick. Using a 3 inch biscuit cutter, or an upside down drinking glass, cut out the biscuits and place on a baking tray.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 ° for about 10 minutes. Or until they have started to brown. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack to cool for a few minutes.
Once they have cooled down a bit they will also firm up. Now you are ready to dig into some delicious vegan oatcakes! These are perfect with a glass of iced tea in the afternoon, of a mug of lemon ginger tea in the evening.
