It is Monday and it is pouring with rain, the wind is blowing a hooley and it has just started to chuck down with hail! To think that yesterday I was in a summer skirt and Chris was in shorts whilst we enjoyed a barbecue lunch in the sunshine! Weather heh!
Anyhow as it is one of those light the fire and make a cup of tea days I decided to make some flapjacks. Not sure why as I haven’t made them in years but I had a yearning. However most flapjacks contain a frightening amount of golden syrup (sugar!) and fat (butter) so I decided to experiment with a lighter version.
It might be considered stretching the truth somewhat to call these healthy, but lets just say that they are lower in saturated fat and refined sugar than usual! They are also delicious, Chris and Louis are just home and have gobbled up 3 each! You can put whatever combination of dried fruit and nuts that you like.
Ingredients:
1 cup of porridge oats *
1/2 cup mixed nuts and seeds (I used a combination of almonds, hazelnuts, sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds)
1 heaped tbsp salted butter
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp golden syrup **
1 generous tsp ground ginger
1 small apple grated, with skin
1 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tbsp chopped dates
3 strips of candied lemon peel finely diced
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C, line a 20 x 20 cm tin and generously butter.
- Gather all your ingredients, a large bowl and a spatula for mixing.
- Over a medium/low heat slowly melt the butter, coconut oil and golden syrup until liquid. Remove from the heat.
- In a food processor pulse the nuts and seeds until medium fine.
- In the bowl add the oats, nuts and seeds, apple, dried fruits, ground ginger and candied peel and mix well.
- Now add in the melted fats and syrup, combine thoroughly.
- Pour into the prepared tin, pushing the mix into all four corners and patting flat with the spatula.
- Pop into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cut into small squares whilst still warm, leave to cool in the tin.
- Perfect with a cup of tea/tisane of your choice. I am enjoying fresh mint tea with my slice! ***
* I used an American measuring cup as I was feeling lazy and couldn’t be bothered to measure properly! Precision isn’t necessary here.
** Tate and Lyles golden syrup is a very British affair so if you aren’t from the UK you possibly have no idea what this is or where to get it as it isn’t available readily here, or if it is tends to be eye waveringly expensive! It is very sweet and has a very particular taste that cannot be replicated by any other sweetener. So if you want that childhood flavour nothing else substitutes. However if you have no idea what I am referring to honey is a great alternative, although it can dominate, or agave syrup as the perfect vegan substitute.
*** Because of the reduced fat and syrup these are not as solid as usual, so a plate is a good idea!