When Dr Johnson ribbed Boswell to why in Scotland men ate oats, whereas in England only horses ate them, he replied that this was why England had the better horses and Scotland the better men.

Oats are indeed extremely nutritious and linked with lower rates of heart disease and better general health.

We eat a lot of them at home, including in this form.

This is an easy, cheap and delicious alternative to commercially produced biscuits.

Ingredients

220g/8oz oat flakes (porridge oats are fine)
140g/5oz brown sugar
2 eggs
140g/5oz plain or wholemeal flour
½ tsp cinnamon
55g/2oz butter
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

What to do

Preheat the oven to 190?C/375?F/Mark 5.

If you have a food processor, simply stick all the ingredients in it and mix them on a low speed until they’re thoroughly blended together.

If not, start by creaming the butter and sugar, then stir in the rest until you have a homogenous mixture.

Drop tablespoons of the mixture on to a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.

They will be soft when this time is up but will harden up as you allow them to cool.