Dry or thick mixtures

Q: Why do my oat-based mixtures often become dry?

A: There are two main reasons why an oat-based mixture (like Anzac biscuits or oat bread) can thicken too much and become dry:

1. The mixture is left to stand before baking and the oats, due to their thirsty nature, soak up all the excess moisture, therefore making the mixture dry and, in the case of biscuits, stiff and hard to shape.
2. If you use coarse rolled oats. The thickness of rolled oats varies between brands and the coarser the oats (such as steel cut oat as opposed to softer, thinner rolled oats), the more moisture they will absorb and the drier the mixture will become.

If your mixture does become dry you can simply add a little more moisture in the form of milk or water (depending on the recipe ingredients) to loosen and soften the mixture to the correct consistency before baking.