Skip to main content

Oatmeal Tea Cookies

Of late, I've been obsessed with a particular recipe from a book I recently added to my cookbook library.  The book is called, 'Crumb', and it's written by British food columnist, Ruby Tandoh.  I simply love the style of her writing, the sweet recipes that she has gathered in one volume, along with all of the practical information which makes me go back to it time and time again.  If you can say that about a cookbook, then it's a keeper and worthy of one's library.

Oatmeal Tea Cookies & Tea on Wedgwood Drabware

Ruby calls these little gems, Rye Oat Cookies, and compares them to graham crackers.  Called digestives in England, the cookies are perfect morsels to have with one's tea or even for breakfast with a cup of coffee.  

Oatmeal Tea Cookies with Fresh Berries

Ever since I got Ruby's book, I have been making these 'biscuits' every single week, because they are good.  Having said that, however, I have taken liberties with the recipe by adding some spice and bumping up the brown sugar just a smidgen.  I can't really call this recipe my own, but I will share with you what I do to make it my own and how you can easily make a batch at home.


Let's bake!

Oatmeal Tea Cookies Ingredients
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup rye flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
  • 6 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk 
Note:  the recipe requires 1 cup total of whole grain flour, along with the oats.  A full cup of whole wheat flour or a full cup of rye flour can be used instead of 1/2 cup each.  I've tried it both ways, but I prefer the 1/2 cup of each.

Recipe is adapted from Crumb, A Baking Book by Ruby Tandoh.  10 Speed Press.

Center Oven Racks
Preheat to 350° F (177°C)

1.  Butter or spray with nonstick spray, a 1/4 sheet pan (9"x13") and line it with parchment, leaving a 1" overhang on either side of the longest side.  
2.  Pulse the oats in a food processor until they look like coarse meal.  It's OK to leave a few whole pieces, it doesn't have to be ground to a fine powder.
3.  In a large bowl, mix to combine the ground oats, rye flour, whole wheat flour, sea salt, baking powder, ground cinnamon and ground ginger.  Mix well.
4.  Drizzle the canola oil over the dry ingredients.  Sprinkle the light brown sugar over the bowl, add the milk and mix evenly with a spatula until the batter looks like wet sand.  
5.  Press the dough firmly into the prepared pan, making sure it is level.
6.  Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, until the cookie batter is firm, set and slightly darkened.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
7.  Slice the slab into 12 squares.  Cookies will can be stored in a cookie jar for up to 5 days.

Note:  this is a very crumbly cookie and may not cut neatly.  This is fine, because those crumbs can be added to your yogurt for breakfast.  Waste not, want not!

Oatmeal Tea Cookie Crumble with Greek Yogurt & Honey
The crumbled cookie is a natural for plain yogurt.  Whether or not you decide to drizzle this delicious combination with honey, it is superb.  Try it for breakfast or as an afternoon pick me up. 


I hope this humble cookie captures your attention and prompts you to whip up a small sheet of them soon.  Although I can't guarantee that you'll get obsessed with this 'biscuit'/cookie, knowing that each is filled with whole grain goodness will undoubtedly make you a fan of them.  Fill a cookie jar with them and then quickly begin another batch.  I know they're not going to last for very long.

Happy Baking!

Comments

  1. David the cookies look wholesome and good. They seem substantial--I think I would have them with a smear of jam. Curious about the all rye and the all wheat versions you mentioned. What where they like?

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rick, the cookies are really good. The all rye version is very substantial, and the all whole wheat flour cookies are a bit lighter. I find the 1/2 cup rye and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour version a good compromise. If you want to treat yourself and make them even better add 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

    Make some.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank You for Posting!

Popular posts from this blog

Antique Salt Cellars

There was a time when salt cellars played an important role on the dining table for the host or hostess.  As a result of it being such an expensive commodity several hundred years ago, salt was seen as a luxury and it was the well to do that made salt cellars quite fashionable & a status symbol for the home.  A single salt cellar usually sat at the head of the table and was passed around throughout the meal.  The closer one sat to the salt cellar, the more important one was deemed by the head of the household.  Smaller cellars that were more accessible and with an open top became a part of Victorian table settings.  Fast forward to the 20th century when salt was no longer a luxury and when anti caking agents were added to make salt free-flowing, and one begins to see salt cellars fall out of fashion.  Luckily for the collector and for those of us who like to set a table with Good Things , this can prove to be a boon. Salt cellars for the table come in silver, porcelain, cut glass

Collecting Jadeite

With its origins dating back to the 1930s, jadeite glassware began its mass production through the McKee Glass Co. in Pennsylvania. Their introduction of the Skokie green & Jade kitchenware lines ushered in our fascination with this jade color.  Glassmakers catered jadeite to the American public as an inexpensive alternative to earthenware soon after the Depression, both for the home and for its use in restaurants.  The Jeanette Glass Company and Anchor Hocking introduced their own patterns and styles, which for many collectors, produced some of the most sought after pieces.  Companies marketed this beautiful glass under the monikers of jadite , jadeite , jade glass , jad-ite , jade-ite , so however you want to spell it, let it draw you in for a closer look.  If you want a thorough history of the origins of jadeite, collectors’ pricing, patterns & shapes (don’t forget the reproductions in 2000), I highly suggest picking up the book by Joe Keller & David Ross called, Jadei

How to Paint a Chair

If you have ever felt the need to spruce up a set of chairs or give them a new look, why not try a little bit of paint?  Our tastes in decor and color will probably alter throughout our lives, and at some point, we may find ourselves wanting to change the look of our furniture without having to spend a lot of money.  That's where a few handy tips, some tools from the hardware store, and good-quality paint come in handy.   I know I'm not alone in paying visits to local antique shops, antique fairs and flea markets, and falling in love with pieces of furniture that would be perfect if they were just a different color.  You don't have to walk away from a good purchase simply because it's the wrong color.   My dear friend, Jeffrey, is forever enhancing his home with collectibles from flea markets and tag sales.  However, certain items aren't always up to Jeffrey's tastes when he brings them home.  He is the type of person who won't hesitate to chang