Perfect with tea (and almost any repast),
we hope that oatcakes will become as
popular as shortbread. Photo courtesy
Effie’s Homemade.

It’s true: “Oatcake” doesn’t sound too beguiling. To Americans, it can sound like something you might give your horse as a treat.

Neigh!

As Scotland is too cold to grow wheat, oats were the staple grain until modern times and easy distribution of wheat products throughout the U.K. In Scotland, biscuits—sweet or savory—were made with oatmeal instead of wheat flour.

So think of a simple but sublime shortbread cookie—essentially wheat flour, butter and sugar. Then substitute oats for the wheat, and you’ve got an oatcake.

While they might not sound as graceful as “shortbread,” oatcakes are just as satisfying—even more so, as they’re not as sweet or buttery. So they go with just about everything, from breakfast to soup and salad to the cheese course.

• Read the full review of Effie’s Homemade Oatcakes.
• Find more of our favorite cookies, biscuits and crackers.