My perfectly chewy flapjack

A quest for the perfect recipe for a particular thing like flapjack or shortbread or even the perfect victoria sandwich usually takes me through half a dozen recipes and adding my own adaptations before I get the answer (most of the time I don't try for the perfect item and just add my own adaptations to one or two recipes, week night dinners will be a recipe with my own tweaks or my own creation), I think I have finally, after a couple of attempts, come up with mine and Tom's favourite flapjacks (and some of his work colleagues' too, at least they keep asking for it!). I have decided to share it on my blog for all of you to enjoy too :D

Our favourite filling - dried apricots and pistachios

Cooking in the Oven

Cooling in the tin (this is crucial - have some patience)

(Please don't ask why I have done this in oz - I don't actually know!)

Ingredients:

- 10 oz porridge oats

- 4 oz self-raising flour

- 4 oz margarine or butter

- 5 oz rapeseed oil

- 8 oz soft brown sugar

- 4 tbsp golden syrup

Possible additions - nuts & seeds, dried fruit, ground ginger or cinnamon, lemon juice and zest. Our favourite combination (as pictured) is dried apricots and pistachios (not the salted kind), for a flapjack packed with fruit and nuts I usually use approximately 125g dried apricots and 100g pistachios - the pistachios really justify the presence of the nuttyness of the rapeseed oil.

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 C (I use fan oven)

2. Melt the margarine and golden syrup together (we have a flat bottom 1000w microwave and I do it for two goes of 30 seconds each).

3. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients. Add the melted ingredients and rapeseed oil (we use local Yare Valley rapeseed oil from the local farmers market but any rapeseed oil will do) and combine.

4. Pour mixture into greased baking tin (line the bottom with baking parchment/greaseproof paper, I used a fairly standard size roasting tin with deep sides, make sure you grease these too) and spread evenly.

5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown (the mixture will still be runny but will set while cooling in the tin).

6. Cut immediately into squares (or rectangles or fingers if you would prefer) but leave to cool in the tin, this is important - make sure you are patient!

Thanks for reading, I thought as this blog was supposed to be cookery too I ought to add a few posts on food,

- Rebecca