Hardtack Oatcakes

These crisp and crunchy cookies are a combination of Nova Scotia Oatcakes, Hardtack Biscuits and Anzac Cookies. They are double baked like Biscotti to dry them out and make they crisp and crunchy. They will keep for some time stored in an airtight container but can also be wrapped and frozen. The recipe yields about 12, 2 1/2" diameter cookies. They are great with morning coffee.
Options: Use 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup Durum Atta Flour for a pronounced "snap" or crispiness. Replace 1/2 cup oats with 1/2 cup puffed millet cereal for more "crunch". They are great if you use 2 to make a "sandwich" with crunchy peanut butter between the two!

2 cups Old Fashioned or thick cut oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

¼ cup Crisco (or other vegetable-based shortening like coconut oil)

¼ cup butter

1 tablespoon Arrowroot flour or cornstarch

½ cup dark brown sugar

1-2 tablespoons 100% Maple Syrup

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup boiling water

Directions

1.       Mix the flour, Arrowroot flour or cornstarch, sugar, salt, butter and Crisco in a large bowl. Rub the fats into the dry ingredients (like when you are making a pie crust) until the consistency is like that of coarse breadcrumbs. Add the oats to the mixture and combine.

2.       Add the baking soda to the boiling water then mix in with the dry ingredients. Add the maple syrup at this point and mix all together to form a “dough” (it may need a tablespoon or so more water to bring the dough together).

3.       Make 12 small balls of the dough, rolling between your palms to bring the mixture together. Put all in plate and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.(I roll the dough into a small log then cut it into 12 pieces to get the ball portions)

4.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside

5.       Remove the balls of dough from the refrigerator and flatten between palms to make “patties” that are about ¼ inch thick. Use fingers to make a nice circular shape.

6.       Place patties on the parchment paper and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

7.       Lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and place cookies back in for about 45 minutes. This drying out process is what makes the cookies crisp and extends the shelf life.  

8.       Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.