I attempted my first Scottish flapjack throughout a visit years in the past to Edinburgh. My husband Harry and I ended into an area bakery, the place I picked up a chunk by the register considering “flapjack” should be Scottish for “granola bar.” We had been heading out for a day of chateau excursions and hill-climbing, and I figured we’d want the additional gas. I sampled a nibble as we headed for the door and stopped — actually — in my tracks.
Let me inform you one thing proper now: flapjacks will not be granola bars. Flapjacks are oaty, buttery heaven on earth. The style is someplace between a Florentine lace cookie and a brown-butter sauce, besides it’s additionally chewy and seedy and manner higher than both of these. It’s the sort of factor that makes you stand in the course of a bakery, virtually shouting, “What IS this?” After which it turns you proper round to purchase one other one, since you don’t need to share along with your husband anymore.
My flapjack epiphany was so profound that, upon arriving again residence within the U.S., I instantly got down to learn to bake them. Extremely, the recipe is easy — as you in all probability know, in the event you’re from Scotland or England, the place flapjacks are generally discovered beside bakery registers. The important thing ingredient is golden syrup, one other U.Okay. staple which was once a little bit of a headache to get within the U.S., although now’s incessantly accessible in common previous grocery shops (Entire Meals, Publix, and plenty of different nationwide chains). The toasty cane-sugar syrup tastes like buttered sunshine. Suffice to say, my fellow People, this isn’t a type of objects you’ll purchase for a single recipe after which go away idling in your cupboard for months. You’re gonna like it.
The remainder of the elements are versatile, and the entire thing comes collectively in about half an hour. That’s one of many causes that flapjack is now my go-to baked good to deliver over when a buddy’s had a child or wants a pick-me-up. The opposite motive is to see the look on their face once they take a chew. “I do know,” I say, as they stammer with their mouth filled with oats. “And also you thought I introduced granola bars.”
Scottish Flapjack
1 cup butter (or 2 normal sticks)
2/3 cup golden syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar (gentle or darkish)
5 cups rolled oats
Optionally available: 1/2-3/4 cups seeds (I like pumpkin!), 1/2-3/4 cup raisins
Observe: My recipe is a mish-mash of a number of totally different recipes (mainly these three), which I cobbled collectively via trial and error, and transformed the items to US measurements. However flapjack is a malleable recipe and I’ve seen MANY varieties — crispy, chocolatey, and so on. — and if any U.Okay. readers have favourite variations or mix-ins, I might love to listen to!
Preheat oven to 350. Add butter, syrup and sugar to a big saucepan, and set over a medium-low warmth. Warmth for a couple of minutes, whisking often, till every little thing is melted and effectively mixed. Take away from warmth and stir within the oats (a giant wood spoon or silicon spatula work finest right here). As soon as oats are integrated, end by including any mix-ins, if utilizing.
Line a casserole dish or a baking pan with parchment paper (if utilizing a baking pan make sure that it has a lip of not less than 1/2 an inch). Scrape flapjack combination out of the saucepan and onto the parchment paper, and gently press it down till it’s stage(ish). Pop into the heated oven and let it bake uninterrupted for 20 minutes. It’ll in all probability want one other 5-10 minutes, relying in your baking pan and oven, however take a fast peak now. If the colour continues to be pretty gentle and the combination is unfastened and quickly effervescent, it wants a bit extra time. Examine each 2 or 3 minutes (fast appears so that you don’t lose the warmth!), till the flapjack begins to look amber and crisp on the edges. The center will nonetheless look slightly jiggly and undercooked however that’s okay!
Pull from the oven and let it cool. I like to attain the flapjack with a butter knife after about quarter-hour, then let it end cooling all the best way earlier than chopping. This isn’t crucial, however since this a sticky deal with, it makes for barely tidier edges. (Not that ANYONE will care.)
So, what’s your favourite factor to bake for pals? Bonus query: Anybody have a favourite manner to make use of golden syrup?!
P.S. A farro risotto for all seasons, and three great ways to use Boursin cheese.
