Flapjacks: A taste of Britain and sweet memories of travels!!
I find it delightful how food and memories are connected with one other. Every time I enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, I think back to the experience at Cafe Savoy in Prague when we stopped in during a frigidly cold day. I had a delicious cup of hot chocolate, blended with Gran Marnier. Yum!! It's amazing while tasting a culinary treat in our hometowns or during our travels, we are also experiencing a taste associated with a place and moment in time.
One of my favourite things to do while abroad is to visit local shops, markets and stores. I not only love to explore the different foods offered, but it can be a fun experience to learn what other people buy. During my visit to Paris in March, I discovered "energy bars" which were really marzipan. I still laugh about it. It's great to be able to bring back tastes to share-chocolate, jams, and biscuits make great gifts! I also like to bring home Lyle's Golden Syrup to use in my favourite British baking recipes.
We love creating in the BVF kitchens and I'm excited to share a simple recipe for flapjacks. The recipe is from renown chef and creator, Mary Berry. Her book Mary Berry's Complete Cook Book was a gift from Diana and I love creating savoury and sweet dishes from this easy to use book. I have made a few additions to this recipe by adding chocolate chips and coconuts, this basic step by step recipe is very easy to add to and make into a versatile treat.Baking tip: Invest in a scale to measure accurately and ease converting recipes from metric to imperial/standard.
Mary Berry's Flapjacks (with a few additions)
Ingredients
125 g (4 oz butter), plus extra for greasing
90 g (3 oz) Lyle's Golden Syrup
90 g (3 oz) muscavado sugar
250 g rolled oats
Shallow 9x9 cake pan
Ingredients: butter, shredded coconut, chocolate chips (lightly coated in butter) Lyle's Golden Syrup, light Muscovado sugar, and rolled oats
1. Line your cake pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper to further prevent sticking.
2. Combine the butter, syrup, and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently until the ingredients have melted and dissolved.
3. Stir in the oats and mix well.
4. The mixed oats will have a lightly golden brown colouring.
5. Spoon half of the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula or knife.
6. Add half of the lightly coated in butter chocolate chips.
7. Sprinkle all of the coconut on top of the first layer of the oat mixture and lightly coated in butter chocolate chips.
8. Add the remainder of the oat mixture, coconut, and lightly coated in butter chocolate chips
9. Bake in a preheated over an 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit, Gas 4) for about 30 minutes.
10. Leave to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then mark on 16 pieces. Leave to cool completely, then cut and remove from the tin.
