Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat
In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir until combined. Add in the coconut and mix well
With a spoon, or cookie scoop, scoop up about 2 Tablespoons of the coconut batter and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Form the cookies into the shape of a bird nest. Press down the centre with your thumb
Bake cookies for 17 to 20 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and press your thumb down in the centre of the nests again- carefully, they will still be a bit hot!
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes or until they are firm and set. Remove with a spatula onto a cooling rack. Cool completely
Pipe about a tablespoon of chocolate spread in the centre of each nest. Place 3 egg candies in the centre of the nest. Finish decorating the remaining nests and serve
Note: You can make these 2-3 days in advance. Store in an air-tight container on the counter. You can also freeze unfilled macaroon nests for up to 3 months. To defrost the macaroons, put them on a wire rack at room temperature for 2-3 hours to come to room temperature.
First of all let’s clear up the looming misunderstanding. In this recipe my use of the term “Flapjack” is as used in the UK and Ireland, as opposed to it’s North American connotation.
If you find yourself unfamiliar with Flapjacks as they appear here well then you’re in for a treat. Defined as “a sweet, tray-baked oat bar, most commonly made from rolled oats, butter, brown sugar and golden syrup“- growing up they were the stuff of school-time treats. Like so many other bakes with a traditional heritage, a love of these oatty morsels falls into two distinct camps- soft & chewy or crunchy & crumbly. Both however offer comforting butteriness and sweetness with each rustic bite. At the end of the day it’s all a matter of time and taste.
The easiest way to describe a flapjack is to think of it as a granola bar. Like it’s pseudo-healthy breakfast cousin it’s basis is in the “slick ‘ em and stick ’em” method of ingredients. Here it’s the butter providing the “slick ’em” element with the “stick ’em” being provided by the amalgamation of sugar, corn & maple syrups, and molasses. The aforementioned ingredients and oats are the basic building blocks, carrying any number of preferred add-ins. Dried fruit, chocolate chips, caramel are all fair game here.
Having mentioned the flapjacks featured ingredient, the humble rolled oat, I feel it fair to offer a sliver of insight here. Flapjacks can be made using just the one type of oats- Rolled Oats (sometimes known as Jumbo Oats). I have found, however, that by using a mix of rolled oats and quick oats a sturdier, less crumbly flapjack is the end result, the latter oats providing a finer grain to act as an infill to the voids between the larger oat flakes.
Above all the flapjack is a bake that is easily tweaked to personal preference for taste and texture proving a lasting favorite that has stood the test of time. Once you have the essential slick ’em, stick ’em and oats in place the Flapjack World is your oyster!
Makes 12
Ingredients
2 2/3 sticks salted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoon golden corn syrup
2 tablespoons fancy molasses
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups jumbo rolled oats
2 cups quick oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 1/4 cup dried fruit slices, chopped (I’ve used a mix of apple, pear, apricot and mango)
Method
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F (350 degrees F for a crunchier flapjack). Line and grease a 9′ x 12′ baking tin with baking parchment
In a large bowl combine the oats, coconut and dried fruit. Stir well to mix and break up any fruit clumps. Set aside for now
In a medium pan melt the butter with the sugar, syrup, molasses vanilla extract and salt. Stir well to combine until sugar has dissolved.
Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir well to ensure all the dry ingredients are coated
Tip the flapjack mixture into your prepared tin and press evenly for a flat surface
Bake in your preheated oven, middle shelf, for 25 minutes for chewy, 30 minutes for crunchy, until set and golden
Remove from the oven, wait for 5 minutes, then gently score the flapjacks, not going the full way through. For the size of tin I use here, I cut so I have 3 by 4 “square” pieces (2 cuts x 3)
Allow to cool completely in the tin. When fully cooled re-score where you’ve previously cut this time going the full way through
If you want to lend an extra decadent touch, drizzle over some melted chocolate
It’s National Macaroon Day! So let’s celebrate these li’l nuggets of sweet coconutty goodness in all their chewy, toasty glory! These are fantastic treats which can have a universal appeal since they are in effect gluten-free. Any leavening required is done via the addition of whipped egg whites.
Speaking of additions in this recipe I’ve included a gentle tipple of almond liqueur in a reference to the cookies almond based begins. I also find that the combination of coconut and almond works really well. Think of these as a pimped up version of the fondly loved Almond Joy or Bounty bars for the grown-ups!
Don’t get me wrong – these also taste great without the addition of the alcohol. The added benefit being you can get the kids involved in the making of and then reward them for their efforts. It’s smiles all round!
Combine the coconut, condensed milk, vanilla and almond liqueur a large bowl. Mix well
Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks
Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture
Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch cookie scoop, or 2 teaspoons
Press an almond into the top of each macaroon mound
Bake for 25, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on tray for 5 minutes before peeling to remove. Place on a rack and leave to cool fully
When fully cooled dip the base of each macaroon into the melted chocolate. Leave to set, upside down (chocolate side up) on a cooling rack
Crumbs In My Beard 