Best Ever Flapjacks

Today we sit on the precipice of change. Spring is teasing us. Some days have been warm and sunny. Last weekend we were strolling around in t-shirts eating ice cream from our favourite ice cream parlour, Monte Pelmo Gelato in Jordaan (if you are ever in Amsterdam please try the ice cream from this place the queues are out the door for very good reason!) and having a picnic in the park. I enviously pushed the pram past bars where people spilled out onto the street clad in sun glasses with beers in hand. I pre-emptively ordered a shade to clip on to the pram to keep the sun out of the wee mans eyes. This week we have been teased with sunshine which has quickly been replaced with cooler temperatures and April showers. Next weeks forecast promises sun. We shall see......

I realise it is terribly British of me to start by talking about the weather so lets move on to something equally as British and a favourite tea time offering, the humble Flapjack.
I think everyone has experienced Flapjacks in various shapes and forms, from the ones baked by your granny to the ones at the school bake sale, soft and buttery or so hard they could crack your teeth.
For me the perfect flapjack is sweet and chewy. Crisp and toffee like at the edge but softer in the middle. Packed with dried fruit and from personal preference no nuts.
These flapjacks became a labour of love for me. Whilst I've been perfecting this recipe I've almost constantly had a box of these stashed in the cupboard and they have become my grab and go snack when I'm juggling mum life. They give me the quick sugar hit I need and then the slow burn of the oats and dried fruit to keep me going morning or afternoon.

One thing I am guilty of in many recipes is substituting margarine for butter. In many cases it makes no difference at all but I have found a few exceptions, these flapjacks are one.
Using real unsalted butter helps firm these up. Flapjacks made with margarine are good but they are softer and more crumbly but a perfect flapjack can stand up for itself.
An ingredient you may not be so familiar with is Date Syrup or, as I find it here in Amsterdam, Dadelstroop. I bought it when I first saw it out of pure curiosity. It's dark, almost treacley in colour and tastes rich, sweet and tangy and unsurprisingly like date. I quite often have it on my fruit and yogurt for breakfast. In these flapjacks it helps make them more fruity in flavour and less sickly sweet.
If you can't find this in the shops you could try using pomegranate molasses or just replace with the same weight in golden syrup.

I use a combination of dates, sultanas and dried cranberries in my flapjacks. These are favourites of mine as the dates and sultanas are chewy like toffee and the dried cranberries retain their natural tang. If you wish you could substitute any of these for any other dried fruit of your choice such as dried apricots or figs but for me these three really make these the best flapjacks!
The last key ingredient is the sea salt. Salty sweet has bought a whole new dimension to peoples desserts and baking. When dipping your fries into your chocolate milkshake used to be peoples dirty little secret you can now proudly salt your caramel! Fine salt doesn't work here, nor does cheating and using salted butter incase you thought you could, it makes the flapjacks too salty. Because the sea salt goes in with the dry ingredients it doesn't dissolve so you just get little bursts as you are eating which really makes the flavours pop! Trust me!

FLAPJACKS
Makes 15 squares

Ingredients

175g Unsalted Butter
175g Caster Sugar
75g Golden Syrup
50g Maple Syrup
50g Date Syrup
300g Oats
50g Desiccated Coconut
75g Sultanas
75g Chopped Dates
75g Dried Cranberries
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Sea Salt

• Preheat the oven to 180°c. Grease and line with baking parchment a 20cm square tin or rectangle tray (my tray is 27 x 18 cm)
• Place the sugar, butter and syrups in a pan and melt on a medium heat. You only want to melt this mixture you don't want it to boil.
• Meanwhile combine the oats, coconut, dried fruit, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
• Pour the syrup mix into the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Tip into the tray and pat down well.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes. The sweet spot in my oven is 27 minutes but no oven is the same. You want the edges to be a deep golden brown and the centre lighter and slightly springy to the touch.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tray. Once completely cool remove the baking parchment, cut into squares and store in an airtight container.

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