Flapjack Recipe 

One of the first basic recipes I ever made was flapjack, and the following is the best recipe I’ve ever come across, making a very moist flapjack - it’s the baking that makes the difference. I’ve tasted some that are very hard like a brick in my day, or very dry and crumbly - either through over cooking, or not measuring the syrup properly.

Tip - wet a tablespoon under a very hot running tap and the syrup should glide off your spoon more easily. Unbelievably, I was once told by a much younger staff member that the trouble with me was, I was too old fashioned, when I once provided this basic tip in a class I was supporting at college.

4ozs / 100 gms hard margarine (I use Stork)

1 oz / 25 gms caster sugar

2.5 tablespoons golden syrup

8 ozs / 200 gms oats

1. Preheat oven Gas 4, Electric 180c.
2. Grease a baking tin, at least 3 cm deep, approx 20 cm square
3. Place margarine, syrup and sugar into a large saucepan. Melt over a low heat. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up - you will burn the sugar/syrup. Stir to ensure thoroughly mixed together.
4. When fully melted, turn off heat and stir in oats, until all are wet.
5. Press into the greased tin.
6. Bake for approx 20-30 mins - this will depend on your oven. Some may require a little longer, some less. The edges should just be starting to brown and still look moist in the middle. Pale golden brown in colour.
7. Remove from the oven and mark into squares whilst still soft. Do not remove from the tin until quite cool, otherwise it will just fall apart. Use a palette knife to lift out, if you have one - another one of my college tools still in use. 

Optional - I usually double the amount. I place half of the mixture in a tin measuring 17 cm x 28 cm, and then lay on top some halved dried apricots. Then I cover the apricots with the remaining mixture. You could use any dried fruit. You could also opt to use a muesli mix instead of oats, or half and half.