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It’s good to have some fail safe recipes you can refer back to when you need to bake but don’t have much time. This flapjack recipe comes from my Great Grandmothers recipe book – just to prove that the old ones are sometimes the best!
Ingredients:
160g butter
115g demerara sugar
1 tsbsp golden syrup
240g porridge oats
115g extras (optional)
raisins or any combination you fancy – nuts, raisins, dried cranberries – mix it up and use your imagination, see what’s lurking in the cupboard and use it up.
Preheat the oven to 160c Fan/180c/Gas Mark 4.
Grease a 7 x 7″ baking tin. Don’t worry too much if you don’t have the right size tin, I’ll show you one of my little tricks in a minute!
Add the butter, demerara sugar and syrup to a pan and heat gently until all the sugar has dissolved.
Remove from the heat and add to the pan the oats and any fruit/nut/extras you are using, give it a good stir. You will need a solid wooden spoon as the mixture is fairly stiff.
Tip the mixture into your prepared tin and flatten down with the back of spoon to level.
You can see here I couldn’t find the right size tin so I’ve used a larger baking tray. Take a piece of foil and fold it into a long thin strip. Fold it so that it sits against the edge of the flapjack in the tin.
Then using a suitable size oven proof dish use it to weight down the foil and keep it in place.
This little trick works with firm recipes like flapjacks and biscuit bars that aren’t going to ooze everywhere.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. The top will be barely coloured and will still look very soft but don’t worry it will firm up as it cools. Don’t be tempted to bake it a bit longer as the flapjack will go hard and tough on the old teeth!
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes, after which you will need to carefully cut it into pieces.
Leave in the tin to cool completely.
Flapjack – all kinds of ways
Ruth Clemens, Baker Extraordinaire
Finalist on BBC2 The Great British Bake Off 2010
It's very easy to make vegan/dairy free flap jacks too, just use that Pure spread which you can pick up in any supermarket instead of butter.
Just made your flapjacks. I followed the recipe exactly and didnt try to remove from the tin until cold. The flapjacks just fall apart when I try to take them from the tin. Any idea what I did wrong.
Oh what a shame
It sounds like they weren’t baked quite enough so your oven could run on the cool side. I would try checking it with an oven thermometer xx
What a coincidence, I made flapjacks last weekend as a “healthy” alternative treat. My extras were raisins, apricots (chopped up), and pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds. Oh and honey instead of golden syrup. Yum! And they last the whole week as a teatime treat!
This looks like a great recipe and so quick. I'll certainly have to try it.
i have just discovered mary berrys flapjack recipes.. and was amazed how wonderful and how easy they are
will have a try of your one next time…
They look gorgeous Ruth – but do you know how to get really chewy flapjacks (like – shock horror – the ones you get in the supermarket bakery?!) or is it a case of less cooking time?
Tomorrow my plan is to make lots of flapjacks. My baby is due in 18 days I thought they would be the ideal snack to have in hospital. Oats contain slow releasing energy perfect for labour.
My favourite is a mix of sultanas and pecans, then drizzled with chocolate when cool – yummy!
That is so funny – I baked flapjack on monday and had a look on your site for a recipe!! They are fab and wll try on "baking" monday!
I love that flapjacks are the perfect place for using up odds and ends of the baking cupboard! These look fab. My fave are chocolate and cherry. Mmmm…
yep checked for all ingredients brilliant!
love the tip on the tray Ruth you think of
everything!!!
good start to the new year!xx
Oooh yum I love flapjacks. I love to make them with some dried apple chunks from waitrose and some cinnamon. Great autumn combination.
This is the recipe I use
Great idea for using up those bits and pieces left over from Christmas.
Flapjacks are just brilliant. They are so quick to make, taste great and you can even kid yourself they are healthy – what's not to like?
I love your recipes but can't use them as we are both diabetic. I wish someone would do stuff with no sugar so I can give Mr M the occasional treat. Since his diagnosis he refuses to eat stuff with sugar and when you try to make cakes with substitute they are awful – just try creaming fat and splenda!!!
you have my sympathies. my partner is diabetic and we have the same problem.
recently we went on a course to learn about diabetes arranged by the doc and it helped to understand how food affects us. one thing they where very clear on is that its not just sugar that causes high blood sugars,it is all carbs. so, if you have had a low carb day then to have flapjack as a treat is ok. i dont make them too often and i do reduce the sugar a bit and my partner loves them
Yummy! These are like homemade chewy granola bars. In America flapjacks are another word for pancakes!
KatieK – yes – less cooking time for really chewy flapjack! (and yes we all love them too) xx
Anne – good plan, hope everything goes well and congrats on your iminent arrival xx
These look incredibly delicious! Flapjack is my absolutely favourite =)
Love flapjacks but ooooh they aren't such a great thing for those that have promised to diet after overeating, drinking, talking over xmas!! Pass me another…..:)
I fail everytime that I make flapjack – no idea why it just never works! Even when I lived at home I would use the same ingredients, tins and oven as Mum her's would come out perfect and mine was NOT !!!
My kids love flapjack though, so I'm going to have a go at this one, wish me luck
Just made these for my birthday at work tomorrow – they came out GREAT!! Whenever I have made them before they were always too hard so really pleased with this recipe!!!
Try maple syrup, apple and cinnamon!
My dad loves flapjack
made these today..used asda dried cherry, berry,and raisin mix, then i drizzled white chocolate over the top! they were lush, i used a square silicone pan for the first time.
i was a bit doubtful about silicone bakeware but i am impressed!!
thank you ruth for another fab recipe xx
Third time I have made these now, and they are fabulous each time!! Love this recipe!
Hi Ruth..
Thanks a lot for sharing this delish recipe, I’ll try making them one day soon..
You did great on The Great British Bake Off, I’ve just finished watching the series on the internet and enjoyed it very much.. Well done! ;o)I’ll follow you every now and again..
All the very best from Denmark,
Cheers,
Helle ;o)
Danish foodie and regular visitor to London and Sussex
Thank you Helle! xx
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The flapjacks are really easy to make and taste absolutely amazeballs!! Thank you for sharing xoxo