I attempted my first Scottish flapjack throughout a visit years in the past to Edinburgh. My husband Harry and I finished into an area bakery, the place I picked up a bit by the register pondering “flapjack” have to be Scottish for “granola bar.” We have been heading out for a day of chateau excursions and hill-climbing, and I figured we’d want the additional gasoline. 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 should not 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 type of factor that makes you stand in the midst 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 dwelling within the U.S., I instantly got down to discover ways to bake them. Extremely, the recipe is straightforward — as you most likely know, for those who’re from Scotland or England, the place flapjacks are generally discovered beside bakery registers. The important thing ingredient is golden syrup, one other U.Ok. staple which was a little bit of a headache to get within the U.S., although now’s steadily accessible in common outdated grocery shops (Complete Meals, Publix, and plenty of different nationwide chains).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 gadgets you’ll purchase for a single recipe after which depart idling in your cupboard for months. You’re gonna find it irresistible.
The remainder of the components 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 carry over when a good friend’s had a child or wants a pick-me-up. The opposite purpose 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 (mild or darkish)
5 cups rolled oats
Optionally available: 1/2-3/4 cups seeds (I like pumpkin!), 1/2-3/4 cup raisins
Be aware: My recipe is a mish-mash of a number of completely different recipes (primarily 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.Ok. readers have favourite variations or mix-ins, I’d 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 sometimes, till every little thing is melted and effectively mixed. Take away from warmth and stir within the oats (an enormous wood spoon or silicon spatula work greatest 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 be sure it has a lip of at the least 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 most likely want one other 5-10 minutes, relying in your baking pan and oven, however take a fast peak now. If the colour remains to be pretty mild and the combination is unfastened and quickly effervescent, it wants a bit extra time. Test each 2 or 3 minutes (fast appears to be like 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 just a little 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 way in which earlier than chopping. This isn’t needed, 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 associates? Bonus query: Anybody have a favourite manner to make use of golden syrup?!
P.S. A farro risotto for all seasons, and three nice methods to make use of Boursin cheese.