Oatcakes

Guardian recipe

perfect oatcakes

(Makes 9)
200g medium oatmeal, plus extra for dusting
50g pinhead oatmeal
25g porridge oats 
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp brown sugar
75g butter, diced
75ml boiling water

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark six. Mix together the oatmeals and oats and spread out on a lined baking tray. Bake for about 15 minutes, shaking the tray occasionally, until they start to smell toasted.

Tip into a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly, then whisk in the salt and sugar. Stir the butter into the boiling water until melted, then stir this into the oats to make a sticky mixture. If it seems too wet to hold together, add a little more of the medium oatmeal, but it should be quite damp.

Butter the lined baking tray. Dust a work surface with medium oatmeal and put the mixture on there. Pack together well and flatten or roll out with a well-dusted pin until it is about 5mm thick.

Cut out rounds of the size of your choice, then use a palate knife to carefully lift each one on to the tray, still in the cutter as they will be fragile. Space them out well, and re-roll any scraps until all the mixture is used up.

Bake for 20 minutes, then very carefully turn them over and bake for 10 more minutes until they feel hard and dry on both sides. Gently transfer to a wire rack to cool, then store in an airtight tin.