Orkney Broonie
A dark, spiced Orkney gingerbread loaf made with hearty oatmeal and rich black treacle. Sliced thick and spread with salted farmhouse butter for tea.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 310 kcal
Equipment
- •900g (2 lb) loaf tin
- •Baking parchment or greaseproof paper
- •Small saucepan
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 48 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 310 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan) and line a 900g loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
- 2
Whisk the oatmeal, plain flour, ground ginger, mixed spice, bicarbonate of soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
- 3
Melt the butter, black treacle, golden syrup, and dark brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat until dissolved.
- 4
Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for five minutes.
- 5
Beat the egg and buttermilk together in a small jug until evenly combined.
- 6
Pour the warm treacle mixture and the buttermilk mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients.
- 7
Stir gently with a wooden spoon until a smooth, thick batter forms without overmixing.
- 8
Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin and level the top with a spatula.
- 9
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- 10
Cool the loaf in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Chef's tips
Wrap the cooled broonie tightly in greaseproof paper and foil and leave it for two days before slicing. The oatmeal will soften and the treacle will turn the loaf beautifully moist and sticky. For an accurate measure, oil your spoon before scooping the treacle.
Ingredient substitutions
- buttermilk → 115 ml whole milk mixed with 1 tsp malt vinegar or lemon juice
- golden syrup → additional black treacle or dark honey
Storage
Store the loaf wrapped tightly in greaseproof paper in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to one week.
Reheating
Serve at room temperature, or warm thick slices under a moderate grill for two minutes before buttering.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the butter and treacle mixture rather than gently melting it over low heat.
- •Using jumbo rolled porridge oats, which creates a crumbly loaf that falls apart when sliced.
- •Slicing the broonie straight out of the oven while it is still crumbly and hot.
Serving suggestions
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