Baked oatcakes

An egg-free recipe for days when egg supply is short.

This recipe will make about 12 medium-sized oatcakes.

Ingredients:

2 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

2 1/2 tsp demerara sugar

4 oz unsalted butter

Splash cold water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC (fan) and line two baking sheets with baking/greaseproof paper.
2. Place all the ingredients, except the water, in a bowl and mix together by rubbing in the butter with your hands.
3. Once the butter has been rubbed in, add a splash of cold water – enough to make a soft dough.
4. Dust your work surface with flour and roll out the dough to a thickness of about 0.5–1 cm (the thicker they are, the longer they’ll take to bake). Use a round cutter to cut out your oatcakes,* and place them on the baking sheets, spaced a bit apart (six to a sheet is enough).
5. Bake for 40–45 mins, or a bit longer if you prefer them very crispy.

*If using rough oatmeal, you may find it’s easier just to shape by hand rather than using a cutter, as seen in the photo.

A healthier take on Mississippi mud pie

Those of you who know me well will know that I have got quite into fitness and lifting weights in particular. As a result of this, I have been following a high-protein diet but that doesn’t stop me having a sweet tooth. I found a version of this protein-lovers Mississippi mud pie on the side of a carton of Greek yoghurt. It’s quick, easy and hits the mark quite nicely. Perfect if you’re on a low-sugar or high-protein programme.

You’ll need an 8-inch non-stick loose-bottomed cake tin for this.

Ingredients:

250 g full-fat Greek yoghurt

200 g dark chocolate

100 g digestive biscuits (if you can get low-fat ones, go for it, but if not the ordinary ones will do)

75 g rough oatcakes

4 medium eggs (free range, of course)

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp agave syrup

Instructions
1. Heat your oven to 160ºC fan.

2. Melt 75 g of the dark chocolate in a glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water (ensuring the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl).

3. Finely crush the biscuits and the oatcakes together. I used a food processor for this but you can also do it by putting the biscuits inside a plastic freezer bag, tying a knot and bashing the bag with a rolling pin.

4. Once the chocolate has melted, add the biscuit mixture and one of the eggs, and mix. Spoon the mixture into the tin, press down with the back of a spoon and place in the fridge for about 10 mins.

5. Meanwhile, melt the remaining chocolate and then leave it to cool for 5 mins.

6. Beat the three remaining eggs and then add to the melted chocolate along with 250 g of the Greek yoghurt, vanilla extract and the agave syrup. Mix well. Spoon it on top of your cooled base and smooth the surface. Bake for 25 mins until just set and a wee bit wobbly in the middle. Cool at room temperature and then place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.