by Liz Ashworth
This wheat-free beremeal and oat shortbread is a simple, rustic bake with a distinctly Orkney character. Made with stoneground beremeal and flake oatmeal, it has a lovely crumbly texture, a gentle nutty flavour, and a wholesome feel that makes it a little different from ordinary shortbread.
Beremeal is Orkney’s most unique traditional ingredient. Ground from bere, an ancient barley that has been grown in Orkney for generations, it gives these biscuits a warm, slightly earthy flavour that works beautifully with oats and vanilla.
This recipe is ideal if you want a healthier-feeling shortbread with more character than the classic version. It still has the buttery sweetness you expect from shortbread, but the oatmeal and beremeal give it more texture, depth, and flavour.
Serve with tea or coffee, pack into a picnic, or offer as a homemade Orkney-inspired treat. These shortbread also made a lovely gift, especially for anyone interested in traditional Scottish baking, heritage grains, or unique ingredients.
Beremeal and Oat Shortbread Recipe
Makes: 22 x 5cm round biscuits
Oven: 160°C / 140°C fan / 325°F / Gas 3
Recipe Notes
This dough is quite delicate, so use plenty of beremeal when rolling it out to stop it sticking. Keep an eye on the shortbread near the end of baking as the oats and beremeal can brown quickly. Once cooled, they will firm up into crisp, crumbly biscuits with a lovely homemade texture. For a more traditional finish, dust the biscuits lightly with caster sugar while they are still warm.
Ingredients
115g (4oz) margarine or soft butter
85g (3oz) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
115g (4oz) flake oatmeal
115g (4oz) beremeal
Instructions
1. Oil two baking trays.
2. Cream the margarine or butter and sugar together well.
3. Beat in the vanilla essence, then stir in the oatmeal and beremeal.
4. Knead together in the bowl, then turn onto a beremeal-dusted board and knead until smooth.
5. Roll out to around 0.5cm thick, using beremeal to prevent sticking. Cut into rounds and place on the prepared baking trays.
6. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until baked through. Rotate the trays during baking to help them brown evenly, and watch carefully as they burn easily.
7. Dust with caster sugar if liked, then lift onto a wire tray to cool completely. Store in an airtight tin.
Fresh From The Mill!
Order your flake oatmeal or stoneground bere flour from our online shop!
About Liz
This recipe was kindly shared by Liz Ashworth, author of The Book of Bere. Liz is a Scottish food writer, cookery author and all-round foodie with a particular interest in local ingredients and Scotland’s food heritage. Her work includes food columns, cookery books, and several books celebrating Scottish ingredients. She has been an enthusiastic supporter of Barony Mill for many years and has done much to record and celebrate the story of bere in Orkney, from its roots in the islands, to the many ways it can still be used in the kitchen today. Her beremeal and oat shortbread is a simple, wheat-free bake that shows off just how easy it is to use bere in your baking.
