Flapjacks

Flapjacks

30 min bake, 160°C (140°C fan), 20cm square tin

Ingredients

Makes 16 bars

rolled oats        550g
unsalted butter    400g
golden syrup       300g
light brown sugar  200g
salt               4g

For chewy not hard: the layer should be 2-3cm thick. If it comes out thin the tin is too big, use a 20cm square or smaller. Golden syrup and light brown sugar keep them soft, demerara sets harder so don’t use it. Pull them out when the centre still looks wet and shiny, they firm up a lot as they cool.
Dark chocolate: pour melted dark chocolate over the cooled bars while still in the tin. Press flaky salt on top. Leave to set then cut.
White chocolate and raspberry: pour melted white chocolate over the cooled bars, then scatter 50-60g dried raspberries and the zest of half a lemon on top. Leave to set then cut. Mixing the raspberries into the oats burns them, so add them after.

Recipe

1. Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Grease and line a 20cm square tin.

2. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Don’t let it boil hard or it sets too firm as it cools.

3. Stir in the oats and salt until fully coated.

4. Tip into the tin and press down into an even layer.

5. Bake for 28-32 minutes until golden at the edges. The doubled batch is thick so it needs a lower, longer bake. The centre should still look wet and shiny and have a slight wobble when you pull them, this is correct. They firm up a lot as they cool and will be dense and chewy rather than dry.

6. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then cut into bars.

Keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 5 days, never the fridge as it hardens them. A slice of bread in the tin keeps them soft. They get chewier over the first couple of days as the syrup settles.