WEE BANNOCKS

WEE BANNOCKS image

Yield 24 wee bannocks

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 c stone ground Scottish oatmeal (I Bob's Red Mill brand. Note: This is not the same as steel cut oats. If you have steel cut oats on hand, you can grind them into a coarse meal in your blender or food processor.)
2 c unbleached white flour
¾ c caster sugar (superfine, not powdered sugar; you can make it from granulated sugar in your blender)
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter: 6 Tbsp cold cut into very small pieces + 6 Tbsp for cooking
10-oz package mini size semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)
5-oz package sweetened dried cranberries (I use Craisins)
1 1/2 c cold buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 to ½ c canola oil for cooking

Steps:

In a large bowl, whisk together the oatmeal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter pieces, and rub or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pea-sized lumps of butter are okay. Set aside the 6 Tbsp of butter for cooking. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Mix the buttermilk and baking soda together. It should foam a little. Add to the flour mixture, and mix gently and quickly with a spatula, until a dough forms. If needed, add a little extra buttermilk or flour to adjust the consistency; it should look wet, but not soupy. Heat a large cast iron griddle over medium-low heat. Cut a slice of the reserved 6 Tbsp butter and add it to the pan along with a bit of canola oil. Swirl the fat around the pan. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough into the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the bottom of each wee bannock is golden brown and crisp. Then carefully flip each bannock using a spatula. Press down lightly if necessary so that each bannock is about ½ inch thick. Allow to cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until bannock feels firm in the middle and the edges no longer look raw. Monitor the griddle for temperature and add more butter and canola oil between batches as needed. Transfer the bannocks to a wire rack. Cool briefly and serve warm. Can also be reheated in the microwave or a warm griddle. Delicious with coffee or tea.