Michelle Darmody: how to bake rich and buttery flapjacks
Pic: iStock
I find after the Christmas season most people are ready for a change in their baking habits, a change from the rich dense alcohol-laced cakes and puddings, or a change from the chocolate-rich desserts.Â
These flapjack bars are still somewhat rich, as they are made with butter and golden syrup, they are however also filled with lots of nuts and seeds to boost your energy levels. They have a lovely oaty caramel flavour which is perfect at this time of year.
I have found that once you get used to baking flapjacks, they can become a staple. Making your own gives you a lot more possibilities than shop-bought varieties.Â
You can mix and match the seeds, nuts and dried fruit to suit your tastes, and to suit whatever you have in the cupboard.
The syrup is key in allowing the bars to hold their shape. When melting the syrup and the butter together it is important to do it over a low heat. Overheating can make the syrup set into a hard caramel, which will in turn make your flapjacks hard rather than chewy.
Adding a teaspoon of vanilla to the recipe adds a bit of depth. Like salt, vanilla enhances the flavours of the other ingredients.
These have a lovely oaty caramel flavour which is perfect at this time of year. Servings Preparation Time Cooking Time Total Time Course Ingredients 90g Golden Syrup 100g soft butter 50g mixed seeds 50g chopped nuts 90g mixed dried fruit 250g porridge oats 1 tsp vanilla extract zest of 1 orange 1 egg, lightly beaten Method Preheat your oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6. Line an 8-ich square baking tray with parchment. Leave enough at the sides so you can use the parchment to pull the cooled block of flapjacks out of the tin. Melt the golden syrup and the butter together over a low heat. Allow this to cool slightly then stir in the seeds, nuts, dried fruit and oats. Add in the oats, vanilla and zest and stir everything until combined. Scoop the mixture into your prepared tin and flatten it down with the back of a spoon. Bake for about 18 minutes until it looks golden and lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool in the tin. When it has cooled completely pull the edges of the paper to gently lift the whole block out of the tin. Cut this up with a sharp knife. I usually cut it into 12 flapjacks, but you can make them whatever size you wish. The flapjacks will keep for up to a week in an airtight container. It is best to store them in the fridge.Flapjacks
Take care not to overbake the flapjacks. They should still be quite soft when you remove them from the oven, and they will set as they cool. If you prefer a crunchy flapjack, you can use a shallower baking tin which will make the bars thinner and allow them to bake a little firmer. The result will be a touch browner in colour and once cooled will have more of a snap. Whereas if you want a chewier flapjack, you can reduce the baking time by two or three minutes.
If your flapjacks are too crumbly it is probably because they were not pressed down into the tin firmly enough. It’s important that the mixture is pressed down very well so that the bars stay firm and solid when cut. Use the back of a metal spoon to make sure the mixture is fully compressed.
Another way to stop crumbling and breakages is to mark out the lines you will use to cut the flapjacks, and to do this while the block is still warm in the tin. Make the indentations with a knife and then when the block has cooled completely cut right through on these pre-marked lines. Use a sharp knife to cut the flapjacks.
If you would like to freeze the flapjacks let them cool down completely and place them in an airtight container which is freezer safe. You can separate each layer with squares of baking parchment to prevent the bars from sticking together. They will last up to three months in the freezer. To defrost them just put them on a plate or wire rack until they come to room temperature or leave them on a plate in the fridge overnight.
Using half jumbo porridge oat and half regular oats will give you a more textured result.
You can use any dried fruit you like in this recipe but to make variations you can focus on just one fruit such as cranberries, dried apricots or even prunes. Chop the fruit if it comes in large pieces.
In place of the orange zest, you can add a ¼ tsp of powdered ginger and to add more of a kick use crystalised ginger in place of some of the dried fruit. The crystallised ginger works well mixed with dates or raisins.
Peanut butter is great in a flapjack. Stir a tablespoon of it into the mixture at the end. If I am doing this, I often use chopped peanuts rather than a mixture of nuts and fruit.
Whichever type of flapjacks you choose to make you can dip them in melted chocolate for an added treat. Or alternatively, add some chocolate drops to the recipe in place of some of the dried fruit.
