Name: Broonie
Yield: Makes 1 loaf
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: 100 g/3½ oz butter, cubed; 1 medium free-range egg, beaten; 2 tsp ground ginger; 175 g/6 oz medium oatmeal; 150 ml/5 fl oz buttermilk (or fresh milk soured with ½ tsp lemon juice); 100 g/3½ oz light muscovado sugar; 2 rounded tbsp black treacle; 175 g/6 oz self-raising flour, sifted

Preparation info

Makes
1
loaf

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Scottish Baking

By Sue Lawrence

Published 2016

About

The Orcadian broonie should not to be confused with Shetland’s ‘fatty brunnies’, which are thick girdle scones or bannocks made of wholemeal flour or oatmeal. The Orkney broonie is a light, moist gingerbread not dissimilar to Yorkshire or Lancashire parkin. The names of both brunnie and broonie are from an Old Norse word – ‘bruni’ – which, according to F. Marian McNeill, means a thick bannock.

The broonie keeps well wrapped in foil, and is good either plain or butte