I can’t tell you how many times I have made these for my children. I always like to add dried fruit to the mixture, and depending on the mood and the fruit that is available, I could add anything in from dried apples to bananas. I sometimes go a bit mad and add 3 or 4 times more than the quoted ingredients. The flapjacks have been a great breakfast or healthy snack, and even a teatime treat. This recipe below is our favourite version.
| Preparation time Less than 30 mins | Cooking time 25 minutes | Diet Vegetarian |
| Preheat oven 180C/160C fan gas mark 4 | Grease and line A deep, 32cm x 28cm/ 13in x 11in tin with baking paper | Portions Serves 32 |
Ingredients
500g rolled porridge oats
250g butter, plus extra for the tin
250g light brown sugar
180g golden syrup
50g dried apricots (or slightly more if you wish)
50g cranberries or raisins (or slightly more if you wish)
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan oven, gas mark 4.
Step 2
Grease and line with baking paper the bottom of a 32cm x 28cm tin.
Step 3
Cover and soak the apricots and raisins or cranberries for 10/15 mins in water just boiled from the kettle.
Step 4
Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup together into a medium pan. Let the butter melt, and combine evenly with the sugar and the golden syrup to form a liquid. Stir regularly and make sure it does not get too hot.
Step 5
Take the pan off the heat and pour in the oats. Combine the oats with the sugary liquid, making sure they all combine evenly.
Step 6
Pour into the tin, spreading the mixture evenly and pressing the mixture down gently with the back of a spoon.
Step 7
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden around the sides.
Step 8
Take it out of the oven and leave to cool for 2-3 minutes in the tray. Using a blunt knife, cut it into slices. I usually cut 4 by 8 giving 32 slices.
When you cut, remember just to gently press down, marking the cooked flapjack rather than the usual motion of pulling the knife towards you. The habitual cutting motion will break up the flapjack before it is ready.
Step 9
Once the flapjacks have cooled down, then you can get them out of the tray. You may find that you have to break the slices slightly if the striations were not cut all the way through.
Tips
You can keep the flapjacks in an airtight container for around 3 days. Or you can freeze them for up to 3 months in a sealed sandwich bag or airtight container.
Enjoy!
