Flapjacks

Recipe:

5.5 oz butter

5 oz demerara sugar

1 tbsp of golden syrup

juice of one lemon or 1tbsp of orange juice

8 oz oats

4 oz dried fruit (optional)

Method:

Melt butter in a pan. Use some of the butter to grease a ceramic or glazed pottery dish about 7-8 inch square.

Once the butter is melted turn off the heat. Add the sugar and golden syrup. Stir in well.

Add lemon juice. Stir well.

Add the oats, fold the oats in really well until fully covered in the butter/sugar mixture. If it looks a little moist add another ounce of oats.

This is where you can get creative. Add 4oz of dried fruit (I often use cranberries) or nuts, dates, seeds. make sure to mix in well.

Place the mixture into your pre greased dish. Using the back of a metal spoon press the mixture down really firmly so that it is level and reaches the sides of the dish well. The firmer the mixture is pushed down at this stage the more your flapjack will hold together.

Cook on 180 degrees C for 20 -30 minutes.

To be properly cooked they need to look golden on the top. Don’t take them out too early or they will just fall apart. But don’t leave in too long as they will be too crisp. You will get the hang of how you like them.

As soon as they are out of the oven take a palette knife and score around the side of the dish pulling the mixture away from the sides very slightly. Then score the flapjacks, almost cutting them through. They will not cut properly as they will be too hot and moist. Set a timer and return in ten minutes to do the same again, this time slicing a little further into the flapjack making sure to reach the bottom of the dish. Now allow to cool. It is ok to score them one more time but do not lift them out until they are almost cool. If you skip this step you will never get them out of the dish. But doing it this way, though a little time consuming and attentive, means you don’t need to use greaseproof paper.

Enjoy with a cup of your favourite tea.