I attempted my first Scottish flapjack throughout a visit years in the past to Edinburgh. My husband Harry and I finished into a neighborhood bakery, the place I picked up a chunk by the register pondering “flapjack” have to 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 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 aren’t 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 method 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 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 previous grocery shops (Entire Meals, Publix, and lots of different nationwide chains). The toasty cane-sugar syrup tastes like buttered sunshine. Suffice to say, my fellow Individuals, this isn’t a kind of gadgets 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 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 convey over when a buddy’s had a child or wants a pick-me-up. The opposite purpose is to see the look on their face after they take a chew. “I do know,” I say, as they stammer with their mouth stuffed with oats. “And also you thought I introduced granola bars.”
Scottish Flapjack
1 cup butter (or 2 customary sticks)
2/3 cup golden syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar (mild or darkish)
5 cups rolled oats
Elective: 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 completely different recipes (primarily these three), which I cobbled collectively by 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 many others. — and if any U.Ok. 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 all the pieces is melted and nicely mixed. Take away from warmth and stir within the oats (an enormous 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 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 degree(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 free and quickly effervescent, it wants a bit extra time. Test each 2 or 3 minutes (fast seems to be 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 a bit 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 slicing. This isn’t obligatory, 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 method to make use of golden syrup?!
P.S. A farro risotto for all seasons, and three nice methods to make use of Boursin cheese.