Us Scots love some oats. Of course there’s porridge, everyone’s favourite winter warmer to set you up on a dreich day. And oatcakes which our youngest has recently found a fondness for; dry, with no butter, cheese or chutney – we’ll introduce him to that luxury in time. But when it comes to a sweet oat treat, there’s nothing that can top Flapjack.
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The perfect Flapjack is something that can spark great debate. Crunchy or chewy? That is the question. And my answer? It’s got to be chewy. When I want a sweet filling treat, I want one that isn’t going to break my teeth and take the enjoyment of it’s entirety away from me.
For a real, proper Flapjack, golden syrup is a must. There’s no denying it. You could try your hands at a honey or maple syrup substitute but it just now the same. If our Golden Syrup Cake wasn’t enough for you to invest in a tin of the liquid gold, Flapjack should be!
The ingredients & recipe for the perfect chewy flapjack is of course of importance but the real secret is actually within the baking. Lucky for us though, Granny has already done all the hard work and come up with a fool-proof flapjack recipe which never fails to please (and induce a much needed sugar-high energy boost).
Granny’s Top Tips
♥ For the perfectly chewy flapjack, you bake it for less time than you’d think. It will come out the oven not looking ready but it will continue to firm up as it cools, leaving a lovely chewy finish. If you prefer a crunchy flapjack, simply bake for a little longer.
- 300g Butter
- 180g Golden Syrup
- 200g Light Soft Brown Sugar
- 400g Porridge Oats
- ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- Pre-heat your oven to 180°c (160°c for a fan-assisted oven) and line a 30x20cm baking tray
with tin foil and grease generously with butter. Set aside.
- In a large pan, warm the butter, golden syrup and sugar - stirring regularly - until melted together.
- In a large bowl, lightly mix the oats and cinnamon before adding the melted mixture and stirring until all the oats are covered.
- Transfer the mixture to your pre-lined/greased tray and smooth the mixture into the corners.
- Bake in your pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the middle still has a "slight wobble".
- Leave to cool completely in the tray (ideally overnight) before removing and cutting into your desired sized slices.
with tin foil and grease generously with butter. Set aside.
A good chewy middle with crisp edges is my absolute flapjack fave, I don’t think there are many better sweet treats. This recipe looks blinkin lovely. I will have to bake some soon!
Thanks for commenting, Jenny. I’m a sucker for a crispy edge too! Can’t say I’m disappointed by the kids choosing the middle slices and leaving the edges for me :)
These flapjacks look fabulous, a brilliant after school treat. Commenting as BritMums Baking Round-up Editor. :)
Most definitely, Julie! I actually found myself making another tray this afternoon – at my 5 year old’s instructions(!) just so there was more for when he got home from school :)
Definitely going to make these as my daughter has a wheat problem, can I add coconut or fruit to the mixture?
Do I need to cover overnight?
I grew up knowing this as “Bird Seed Pie” at primary school. For over 40 years I have asked people if they knew how to make it, but no-one had ever heard of “Bird Seed Pie”… until last week when an school friend said “Oh, you mean flapjack?”
All is right with the world again :)
It’s lovely but it’s would say don’t use tin foil. I used it and greased but still stuck a lot. Baking parchment a recommendation. But nice flapjacks
Absolutely agree. Flapjack was delicious, but the tin foil was a disaster.
Line the tin with FOIL!! Ridiculous, stuck horribly to underside, greased well also!! Gave up picking foil off, through away, wasted money & time. Stupid methodology. Baking paper should be used.
Does it work with greaseproof paper?
Totally agree with the tin foil, it sticks and parchment isn’t much better. If you can get to ikea they sell silicone liners which are amazing, I think mine was about £1.80 and I use it for everything, perfect for flapjack! X