Crunchy Cinnamon Oat Cookies

These little cookies started out as a way to use up a bag of quick oats sitting in the cupboard, and they have stayed in my rotation ever since. Oats have a nutty, toasty quality once they are roasted, and that is the secret here. Roast the oats in a dry pan until they smell like warm bread, let them cool, then grind them coarsely. You end up with a sandy texture that makes the biscuits crisp instead of cakey, and the cinnamon lifts everything without needing much sweetness.

Oats are a whole grain, which means the bran and germ come along with the starchy centre. That is part of why they feel so filling in a bowl of porridge, and it is also why a handful of them baked into a biscuit gives a bit of chew. Whole wheat flour does the same job in a gentler way. Together they make a biscuit that tastes more like a snack from the farm kitchen than from a packet.

A few things I have learned over several batches. Add the water a little at a time. The dough should come together in a semi-soft ball, and if it cracks at the edges you have added too little, while a sticky dough means too much. Work it briefly and stop. Overworked wholewheat dough turns tough. When you cut the squares, keep the dough cool. If it has gone soft in a warm kitchen, slide the tray into the fridge for ten minutes before it goes in the oven.

The bake is slow and low, so do not rush it. Give them the full turn halfway through, and keep an eye on the edges, since the thin corners darken first. They firm up as they cool, so leave them on the tray for a while before you judge them. Once they are fully cold, the jar keeps them crisp for about a week. If they soften, a few minutes in a low oven brings back the snap.

For serving, I like them with a cup of masala chai in the afternoon, or crumbled over a bowl of plain yoghurt with a few sliced strawberries. They also make a surprisingly good base for a quick snack board with a wedge of cheese and some cucumber. If you want something warmer for a cold morning, the Chilled Apple and Oat Phirni uses the same oats in a completely different way, and if you are looking for another crisp to nibble alongside, the Crunchy Baked Millet Crackers are a good companion on the same plate.

Keep a small tin of them near the kettle. They are at their best on a slow afternoon, when a biscuit and a cup of tea are exactly what you want.