flapjacks

For years flapjacks did not want to work for me, they either turned out like hard rocks or fell to pieces and crumbled.  I finally found a recipe that worked and have had fun playing with it since with variations on flavours.  Today I made chocolate and coconut


125g butter, plus extra for greasing
125g light muscavado sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
175 g porridge oats or jumbo oats
50 g dessicated coconut
50 g roughly chopped dark chocolate

Start by preheating your oven 180C/160Cfan/gas mark 4 and grease a pan that's roughly 7X11 inches.  I use my brownie pan.

grab a biggish saucepan, I forgot this bit as usual and had to haul out a bowl to mix it in yet again. put in your butter, sugar and golden syrup and put over a low heat and let gently melt together stirring now and then.  Takes hardly any time.  While this melts I measure out the oats and coconut. pour the oats etc into the the melted butter mixture and stir thoroughly until all the oats are coated

 This needs to cool down a little so after it's mixed put it to one side and chop your chocolate roughly.  Then stir through the chocolate which will melt slightly in places  but will taste great afterwards.  When mixed empty mixture into your prepared pan and flatten down evenly.

Place  in oven for around 30 minutes.  I remember original recipe saying until golden brown and firm.  Firstly you can't see golden brown with this chocolate in and as for firm that would involve touching the mixture with your fingers.  DO  NOT under any circumstances go poking this with your fingers when you are testing it that chocolate BURNS, secondly it doesn't feel that firm either.  I tend to find it looks slightly darker round the edges and smells done if that makes sense? Just personal experience.

Still doesn't look thrilling but at this point the smell was driving me nuts,  I was really smelling the choc and coconut and hoping it tasted as good as it smelt. 

The other place I have gone wrong with flapjacks in the past was trying to cut them to early and take them out of the tin to early.  So I tend to leave them 10 minutes then cut them while still warm.  Then leave another 10 minutes or so before taking them out of the tin onto a cooling rack.  Still a slight bit crumbly but not ending up with piles of what looks like granola etc.
Finally after years I can make flapjacks.  And this variation tasted as good as they smelt thankfully :o)

I have made these in the past using nuts, glace cherries, raisins and even marshmallows instead of the coconut.  So go ahead and have a go and delight yourself and maybe your family with these.  I just know my boys are going to love me for these tonight ;o)