Chocolate flapjack

Chocolate flapjack

Canadians often refer to pancakes as flapjacks. But then what do they know? Here in the UK, what we know as a flapjack (and some Canadians know as Hudson Bay bars) generally means a baked dessert or sweet made from oats, brown sugar and golden syrup. This week’s recipe is for our own twist on the traditional flapjack made with chocolate. Delicious.

Incidentally, did you know that Scott’s the oat processors spell “porridge”, “porage”? My spell checker doesn’t agree.

175g unsalted butter

Two tablespoons of golden syrup

75g soft brown sugar

75g castor sugar

225g rolled or porridge oats

Three tablespoons of cocoa powder

75g of dark chocolate

Makes ten flapjacks

Pre-heat the oven to 150°C, gas mark 2. Butter the insides of a baking tray big enough to take ten portions of flapjack. Place a saucepan over a gentle heat and melt the butter, golden syrup, both sugars and the dark chocolate, stirring continuously and not allowing to bubble.

Once melted and combined, simply remove from the heat and stir in the oats and cocoa powder until mixed well. Press the mixture into the baking tray using the back of a spoon and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

The flapjacks need to cook in the centre but stay moist so that’s why they’re cooked at a low temperature. You don’t want them to bubble whilst cooking as this will result in them becoming too toffee-like. Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes before slicing into ten pieces. Leave to cool completely before removing from the baking tray.

We serve them in the restaurant with lots of home-made custard but I’m a big fan of Bird’s and I think that would still do your flapjacks proud. Alternatively, just warm them a little and eat as a chewy, oaty, chocolaty, biscuit-like treat.

April 2011