Flapjacks – Recipe

When I was a kid I used to make this but for some reason we called it poor man’s shortbread.. Not sure why as the stuff is probably more expensive to make thanks but oh well.. The recipe I use was given to me by a family friend and over the years I’ve modified it to my own tastes .. it is fairly forgiving so you can play about with it a little. For example: you can add dried fruit (apricots are esp nice) you can drizzle it with melted chocolate once cooked, you can do all sorts or keep it simple..

If I had to describe the taste, I’d say it’s like an anzac biscuit (cookie) in slice form.

It’s really easy so a fun thing to let the kids loose on but watch when it’s almost cooked as it burns in a heartbeat..

3c rolled oats (I use a mix of 50/50 quick cook and wholemeal for a nicer texture)
1.5c dessicated coconut
1c sugar (I use white as I find brown over-sweetens it somehow?)
200g butter (I use salted in this recipe)
1T vanilla extract
1 large T golden syrup (optional if you don’t have it but it’s so good!)

Melt butter and G/syrup. Add vanilla and set aside.

Mix dry ingreds in a large bowl. Pour in the butter mixture, take the phone off the hook* and mix the lot together using your hands.

I say use your hands because you need to really mix the butter into every crumb. Stirring it around just doesn’t work.

Tip the mixture into a greased (I use that canned rice bran oil but anything will do) pan, and press it down firmly using a spatula or fish slice. It won’t rise, so whatever size you put in the tray is what you get, once cooked.

See pic for the optimal size (any thicker and it may burn on the outside and be stodgy in the centre) ..

Bake in a pre-heated 170 deg C oven for 10-12 minutes then turn the oven down to 160 and bake a further 10 mins.

Remove from the oven and slice while warm, using a very sharp knife. I tend to let it sit for about 10 mins then do this. Don’t wait til it’s cold to slice!
However, once sliced – Let it cool completely in the tin and you’re good to remove it!

In the event that something goes wrong and it doesn’t set or is underdone it can be re-baked. Pull the slices apart that are a little stodgy, place in a greased tray and bake for 10 mins at 150 degs. Or crumble it up and eat over yoghurt and fruit pretending it was meant to be that way 😉

*This step cannot be omitted and I guarantee you: the phone will ring within seconds of you plunging your hands into the mixture!!