Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes

Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes with Dark Chocolate and Maldon Salt
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Growing up oatcakes were a celebrated treat, particularly the ones dipped in dark chocolate. I had no idea until I moved out of the province that oatcakes are considered an iconic Nova Scotia delicacy. I also had no idea that they were a riff on Scottish oatcakes, which are essentially the same only not as sweet. Nova Scotia oatcakes are not particularly sweet either, especially when you compare them to cookies. They have more of a salty, sweet vibe, so don’t go into this expecting oatmeal cookies. Oatcakes are more toothsome, less sugary, and far more substantial. I often describe them as breakfast cookies to the uninitiated. But because oatcakes are not quite a cookie, they do benefit from a little zhuzhing. That’s why I made these Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes – everything delicious about the original dunked in butterscotch icing, drizzled with dark chocolate, and sprinkled with salt. 

Whole wheat flour and oats in a bowl.

So that’s what an oatcake is, but how do you make one? Well, thankfully oatcakes are dead simple to whip up. You don’t even need a hand mixer. All you need is a rolling pin, a biscuit cutter, a giant bowl, and some elbow grease. And it’s pretty light on the elbow grease truth be told.

Oatcake dough on a flour-dusted surface ready to be rolled out.

The first thing we’re going to do is place a lot of oats in a bowl. Make sure you’re using old-fashioned rolled oats, not the instant or quick-cooking kind. To the oats add some whole wheat flour. I like the nutty sweetness of whole wheat flour here but it will make your oatcake a little more dense. I feel like this is a worthy sacrifice because oatcakes a generally dense regardless of what flour you choose. But if you’re keen on a more tender and less nutty oatcake add all-purpose instead. It’s a direct cup-for-cup swap, so it’s easy. 

Oatcakes cut out of the dough.
Oatcakes arrange on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat.

To the flour and oats add light brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk everything together. It might feel like you’re adding too much salt but a little extra saltiness is vital to the oatcake’s DNA. Think of these beauties being a bit of a briny treat. To the dry ingredients add cold unsalted butter cut into cubes. Using the rubbing method, work the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a fine but crumbly mixture. Add some recently boiled water and stir until a dough starts to form. When it gets too thick to stir, lightly knead the dough until it can be formed into a ball. 

Dunking a baked oatcake in butterscotch icing.

Dust a surface generously with flour. Place the oatcake dough in the center and dust it with flour. Coat a rolling pin in flour as well. This dough is sticky, we’re not taking any chances. Roll the dough out to anywhere between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thickness. I like mine on the thicker side. They tend to be chewier that way. Use a biscuit cutter to punch out your oatcakes and transfer them to a large baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Bake the oatcakes for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Transfer them to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes covered in a dark chocolate drizzle and sprinkled with salt drying on parchment paper.

While the oatcakes are cooling, we’re going to get our butterscotch goodness going. And that starts with a skillet. Plop some butter into a large skillet over medium heat and melt until foamy. Whisk in some brown sugar and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes. Pour in some milk and whisk until the bubbling subsides. The reaction will be, um, spirited. But I promise everything is right in the world. The butterscotch will calm down. Pour the finished mixture into a bowl and add some vanilla. Pour in some sifted icing sugar and whisk until very smooth. Adjust the consistency with a little extra milk. We’re looking for a Goldilocks icing. We want it to be thick enough to generously coat our oatcakes but not so thick that it bogs them down. 

Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes with Dark Chocolate and Maldon Salt

Once your icing is where you want it to be, dunk your oatcakes in the frosting. I dunked half of my oatcakes but you might choose to dunk the bottom of your oatcakes or fully enrobe them in the butterscotch. I support your choice whatever it may be. Set your oatcakes aside to dry. Technically you’ve made Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes, so you could stop here and call it a day. But I think a drizzle of dark chocolate brings a lovely light bitterness to the proceedings and the salt a nice crunch and briny finish.

Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes with Dark Chocolate and Maldon Salt

So when the oatcakes are no longer tacky, melt some dark chocolate in the microwave. I like to do this in 30-second bursts and I stop heating the chocolate when it is mostly melted, then I stir it until it becomes liquid. Pour the chocolate into a small piping bag, and snip the very tip of the tip off. Pipe the chocolate onto the oatcakes. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the treats with Maldon salt or your favorite finishing salt. Let dry and then serve. 

And that’s everything you need to know about these Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes with Dark Chocolate and Maldon Salt. Sweet, hearty, and the perfect amount of salty, these lovely treats are a worthy companion to any cup of tea. 

Enjoy!

Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes with Dark Chocolate and Maldon Salt

Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

These Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes feature hearty and thick oatcakes dunked in a rich butterscotch frosting accented with a drizzle of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of crunchy finishing salt.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Drying Time 1 hour
Course Dessert, Snack
Servings 24 cookies

Equipment

  • 1 Large baking sheet
  • 1 Large skillet

Ingredients
  

For the Oatcakes

  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter cold, cut into cubes
  • ¼ cup boiling water

For the Butterscotch Frosting

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp whole milk divided
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups confectioner's sugar sifted

To Finish

  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • Maldon salt for sprinkling

Instructions
 

For the Oatcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set it aside.
  • Place oats, flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the butter, and using your fingers or a pastry cutter, rub or cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles a coarse meal.
    2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 cup whole wheat flour, ¾ cup light brown sugar, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp baking soda, ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • Pour in the recently boiled water and stir until a dough starts to form. Lightly knead the dough until it can be formed into a ball.
    ¼ cup boiling water
  • Dust a surface generously with flour and place the dough in the center. Dust the top of the dough with flour and coat a rolling pin in flour. The dough will be sticky. Roll the dough out to 1/2 to 1/4 inch thickness depending on how thick you want your finished oat cakes to be. **
  • Using a biscuit cutter, punch out the oatcakes and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer the oatcakes to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

For the Butterscotch Icing

  • While the oatcakes are cooling, melt the butter in a large skillet until foamy. Whisk in the brown sugar and cook for a minute or two. Pour in half of the milk and whisk until the bubbling subsides.
    ½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar, 4 tbsp whole milk
  • Pour the butterscotch into a large bowl. Add the vanilla and the icing sugar and whisk until smooth. Add as much of the remaining milk as you need to reach the desired consistency.
    1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • Dunk half of each oatcake in the frosting. Leave the oatcakes to dry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The oatcakes should no longer be tacky after 30 minutes.

To Finish

  • Place the chocolate in a bowl and microwave it in 30-second bursts. When most of the chocolate is melted, take it out of the microwave and stir until the remaining chips melt.
    1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • Pour the chocolate into a small piping bag and cut the very tip of the tip off. Drizzle the oatcakes with the dark chocolate and immediately sprinkle with the salt. Let dry for 30 minutes before serving.
    Maldon salt

Notes

** A thinner oatcake has a crisp quality while a thicker oatcake tends to be chewier.
Keyword butterscotch, dark chocolate, oats, salt

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