Cape Breton Oatcakes

I find myself baking a crazy amount tonight. Tomorrow we will have home made roasted squash soup with warm rolls and ginger cookies for dessert. The children love their dessert and it is such a great way to get them to eat their lunch. I feel like Monty Hall many days when some one asks me if I am ready to make a deal. I am sure you are all familiar with the phrase, "how many bites do I need to take I can have a cookie"? Ms. D is the softie on the dessert and when I don't have the energy I let her serve up the dessert. In addition to the soup and cookies I've made a batch of oat cakes for afternoon snack. typically I would make these in the classroom with the children but I am trying to free myself up to do other fun stuff and so my kitchen smells amazing. The poor boys in my house have been warned not to touch. Often we get asked by the children for the recipe for many things that we make. Once a little girl asked for our recipe for cinnamon toast as she was having her second or third helping. I can remember feeling so happy that we made something someone loved. Of course we explained that it was really just toast , butter (lots of it) and cinnamon sugar. It was a very sweet moment. Another recipe we get asked a lot for is the Oat cakes and so here it is:

2 c Flour

2 c Oatmeal

1 c Brown sugar packed

2 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp all spice

small grating of nutmeg

1 c Shortening or Lard (I used shortening)

1/2 c or more ice cold water

Bake at 350 15 minutes or until lightly browned

Sift all the dry ingredients together and add in the shortening with your hands until the mixture is crumbly. Next add the ice water in small amounts until it all comes together in a ball. Flatten into a rectangle about 1 inch or 1/2 inch thick. I always cut mine into triangles. I think I have a thing about triangles because a triangle is always the first metal inset I choose to present to a child. Enjoy the oatcakes and make sure to make them with your child.