I like flapjacks. They feel like they might be sort of healthy what with the oats and occasionally fruity ingredients whilst of course actually just being a lovely sticky treat which cheers up the dullest of days.
Even the name is jolly and with just a couple of store cupboard ingredients you can whip some up for visitors in under half an hour. Or you could open the store cupboard and bring out some top-notch commercial flapjacks like these Wonderful White Chocolate flapjacks from Thomas J Fudge's Remarkable Bakery.
Let's start with those shall we?
I tried out these limited edition flapjacks which are basically a super scrumptious oaty bake with orange zest and a smattering of tasty cranberries.
As if that doesn't sound delicious enough each square flapjack is hand dipped in white chocolate. Yes - they are as lovely as they look/sound.
I was challenged by the team at Thomas J Fudge's bakery to make my own limited edition flapjack - well since the last time I made them was quite a few years ago any flapjack I make is quite limited edition!
My mum suggested a delicious sounding recipe with mincemeat but have you any idea how hard it is to buy jars of mincemeat in late February? Yes I know, I could make my own but *looks around wildly trying to think of a legitimate excuse and fails* I'm fundamentally quite lazy. I have seven kids you know! Doesn't leave much time for making mincemeat from scratch.
Then whilst queuing at the supermarket, that cheap German one, I spotted a 150g bag of what they named "fruit sprinkle" which is designed to be chucked over cereal, stirred into yoghurt or just inhaled as a fruity snack.
What struck me was the beautiful jewel colours created by the dried cranberries, blueberries, green raisins, cherries and golden raisins.
Once home I emptied them into a bowl and soaked them with about 1tbsp amaretto (which has a lovely almondy smell and taste) for about an hour. Trust me - everything is better with amaretto.
Then I made a basic flapjack mix.
Ingredients:
175g oats
2 tbsp golden syrup
50g light brown sugar
75g butter
150g dried fruit
1tbsp amaretto liqueur.
Method:
Grease and line a 7 inch square or round tin
Melt together butter, sugar and syrup (about 40 seconds in 800 w microwave)
then blend in a bowl with oats and fruit including the small amount of liquid left in the bowl the fruit soaked in.
Turn mix into tin and press down well. I mean, really well!
Bake at 180C (350F) gas mark 4 for 20-30 mins until golden brown.
Cool slightly in tin, mark out slices or fingers and loosen round the edges.
When firm cool on a wire rack.
I neglected to line my tin and left the flapjacks cooling too long so mine got a little bit stuck onto the tin. They still taste awesome but weren't very pretty so I decided to crumble pieces up into the bottom of a glass, top with vanilla yoghurt and top with a crumbled amaratto biscuit and serve as a nice pud.
If you want to avoid the risk of serving de-constructed flapjack ( I knew there was a reason I hadn't made them for years) I'd just head to the store and treat yourself to some lovely complete ones from Thomas J Fudge's Remarkable Bakery.
Disclaimer: I was gifted one box of Wonderful White Chocolate Flapjacks for the purposes of this review. Views and opinions remain honest and my own.
Even the name is jolly and with just a couple of store cupboard ingredients you can whip some up for visitors in under half an hour. Or you could open the store cupboard and bring out some top-notch commercial flapjacks like these Wonderful White Chocolate flapjacks from Thomas J Fudge's Remarkable Bakery.
Let's start with those shall we?
I tried out these limited edition flapjacks which are basically a super scrumptious oaty bake with orange zest and a smattering of tasty cranberries.
I was challenged by the team at Thomas J Fudge's bakery to make my own limited edition flapjack - well since the last time I made them was quite a few years ago any flapjack I make is quite limited edition!
My mum suggested a delicious sounding recipe with mincemeat but have you any idea how hard it is to buy jars of mincemeat in late February? Yes I know, I could make my own but *looks around wildly trying to think of a legitimate excuse and fails* I'm fundamentally quite lazy. I have seven kids you know! Doesn't leave much time for making mincemeat from scratch.
Then whilst queuing at the supermarket, that cheap German one, I spotted a 150g bag of what they named "fruit sprinkle" which is designed to be chucked over cereal, stirred into yoghurt or just inhaled as a fruity snack.
What struck me was the beautiful jewel colours created by the dried cranberries, blueberries, green raisins, cherries and golden raisins.
Once home I emptied them into a bowl and soaked them with about 1tbsp amaretto (which has a lovely almondy smell and taste) for about an hour. Trust me - everything is better with amaretto.
Then I made a basic flapjack mix.
Ingredients:
175g oats
2 tbsp golden syrup
50g light brown sugar
75g butter
150g dried fruit
1tbsp amaretto liqueur.
Method:
Grease and line a 7 inch square or round tin
Melt together butter, sugar and syrup (about 40 seconds in 800 w microwave)
then blend in a bowl with oats and fruit including the small amount of liquid left in the bowl the fruit soaked in.
Turn mix into tin and press down well. I mean, really well!
Bake at 180C (350F) gas mark 4 for 20-30 mins until golden brown.
Cool slightly in tin, mark out slices or fingers and loosen round the edges.
When firm cool on a wire rack.
Disclaimer: I was gifted one box of Wonderful White Chocolate Flapjacks for the purposes of this review. Views and opinions remain honest and my own.