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
Crumbs In My Beard 