Michelle Darmody: How to bake citrus oat slices and the mistakes to avoid

Oats are packed with soluble fibre and a wide variety of minerals and vitamins

These slices can be frozen

The scent of toasting oats helps to cheer up the dullest of days. Oats are a staple Irish ingredient and are wonderfully satisfying when used in baking.

They not only add structure and flavour but have the added bonus of being packed with soluble fibre and a wide variety of minerals and vitamins. These slices are a blend of the nutty sweetness of the crumble, and the citrus filling that seeps into the outer layers.

Porridge is served daily in our house during the colder months but at this time of year I start to make batches of granola or even a dish of baked oats that can be kept in the fridge and scooped out as needed. The addition of vanilla and cinnamon, and even a whisp of orange zest, help to elevate the baked oats to a real morning treat. I also stir a little maple syrup into the dish before baking. Making your own granola is also far cheaper than buying it by the bag.

For every 400g of oats I melt 50g of peanut butter and 50g of honey into 100g of olive oil and stir this through the oats before allowing them to gently heat in a low oven until dry and crisp.

Stir whatever combination of dried fruit, nuts and seeds that you wish, and you will not look back.

Whether it is the zesty oat slices, baked breakfast oats or homemade granola you will have a tasty family treat and a deliciously smelling kitchen.

Citrus Oat Slices

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Oats are a staple Irish ingredient and are wonderfully satisfying when used in baking.

Servings

9

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 55 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 125g self raising flour

• 100g butter, soft

• 125g light muscovado sugar

• 90g porridge oats

• For the lemon layer

• 350g condensed milk

• 85ml lemon juice

• Zest of 2 lemons

Method

1. Line an 8-inch square cake tin with parchment.

2. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.

3. Sieve the flour and set aside.

4. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

5. Add the flour and oats to the butter mixture and combine to make a crumble.

6. Press just over half of the crumble into the base of your tin, pressing it down firmly.

7. Bake for 12 minutes until lightly golden.

8. While it is baking whisk the condensed milk with the lemon juice and zest.

9. Pour the lemon layer over the crumble after you have removed it from the oven, you do not need to let it cool first.

10. Spread the rest of the crumble on top and very gently pat this layer down.

11. Bake for a further 23 minutes or until the edges are golden.

12. Allow to cool in the tin before slicing.

Baker's tips

When lining the cake tin it is best to leave a little extra parchment on each side so it can be used to pull the baked slices from the tin after they have been baked. After baking and cooling, you can then lift the tray bake out using the parchment paper on either side and place onto a chopping board.

You will get the best results if the ingredients are at room temperature, particularly the butter, which will combine with the sugar with more ease.

To ensure that the butter and sugar are evenly mixed stop your mixer every now and then as you are creaming and scrape down the sides and around the base of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

The mixture will appear dry and be crumbly when it is all combined, but this is the correct texture. The bottom layer will need to be compacted quite a lot to ensure it forms a solid layer in the base of the tin, like when you are making the base of a cheesecake. This layer will provide structure when you cut your slices at the end.

When using citrus zest it is worth trying to source unwaxed fruit. If this is not possible you can place your lemons or other fruit in some warm water and quite vigorously dry them with a clean towel to remove the layer of wax that is added to the skins.

When slicing, I use a hot knife which allows for a cleaner cut. For ease, I mark the tray into slices while still warm and fresh out of the oven. Simply indent them with a knife and then fully cut when they have cooled.

The slices will keep for two days at room temperature in an airtight container or for about five days in the fridge.

These slices can be frozen. It is best to make sure they are fully cooled before freezing. I place a layer of parchment between the slices before putting them in a freezer-proof container.

Two delicious variations

Mixed seed and chocolate

Add two teaspoon of chia seeds and two teaspoons of ground flax seeds to the oats. The lemon juice and zest are omitted, and the juice can be replaced with 85mls of orange juice, or juice strained from a rhubarb compote is also nice at this time of year. Sprinkle 100g of dark chocolate chips onto the condensed milk layer before adding the topping.

Lime and pistachio

Substitute the lemon juice and zest with equal amounts of lime juice and zest. You can then add 50g of finely chopped unsalted de-shelled pistachios and reduce the amount of oats to 60g. The nuts can be added at the same time as the sieved flour and oats.