Cakes & Bakes: Malted flapjacks

Our house is rarely without biscuits of some type or variety; digestives, shortbread, cookies… However, when we’re out for whatever reason, a batch of flapjacks is easy to rustle up. For a twist on my regular recipe, I decided to try making malted flapjacks using medium oatmeal rather than my usual porridge oats.

This is a ‘no sugar’ recipe, the sweetness comes from honey, the malt extract and natural sugars in the fruit. The dried fruit & nuts I used were sultanas and chopped hazelnuts and walnuts. However, you could use any combination that takes your fancy, or you happen to have in your store cupboard.

A single tablespoon of malt extract – two, tops – will suffice for this recipe. Malt extract is potent stuff, you don’t want the taste to be too overwhelming. Using the medium oatmeal instead of the rolled oats gave a crunchy texture and nutty flavour – I really like it!

Click here or on the image below to save my malted flapjacks recipe to Pinterest

Malted flapjacks

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Course Snack

Cuisine British

Ingredients

125 g unsalted butter
2 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp malt extract
400 g medium oatmeal
75 g chopped fruit & nuts I used a mixture of sultanas, hazelnuts and walnuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/Gas mark 3
Line a square brownie tin with parchment paper. Set aside
In a large saucepan, melt the butter, honey and malt extract over a low heat. Stir occasionally to combine
Add the oatmeal and fruit & nuts and combine well. Remove from the heat
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and, using a spatula or serving spoon, level it out pressing down firmly, not forgetting the 4 corners
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the top begins to turn brown
Allow the flapjack to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before lifting it out and slicing into portions

Keyword flapjack, malt, oats

Cakes & Bakes: Fruit and nut flapjack

I made one of my regular batches of fruit and nut flapjack this week. Not only is it the perfect accompaniment to a mug of tea, it also has some distinct health benefits.

Justin and I were both born in the 1960s, which means we’re getting on a bit! It’s perhaps time to start considering our health and brain function into old age.

It seems like diet could be a very important factor. Oily fish is often cited as great ‘brain food’, but nuts are also a fantastic source of cerebral nourishment.

Here’s a selection of commonly found (and tasty!) nuts and some of their recognised health benefits.

Almonds are very high in vitamin E (good for glowing skin). They’re also a good source of omega-6 and 9 (poly)unsaturated fatty acids
Un-roasted walnuts contain twice as many antioxidants as other nuts or seeds
Brazil nuts are perhaps the richest dietary source of selenium (a mineral important for cognitive function and a maintaining a healthy immune system). Eating just 2 give you 100% of the recommended daily allowance
Cashew nuts contain a high concentration of essential minerals including magnesium (thought to counter age-related memory loss), phosphorus and zinc
Macadamia nuts are an excellent source of manganese and thiamine (vitamin B₁)
Flaxseeds have one of the highest concentrations of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Useful in maintaining healthy brain and visual functions). Especially important if you’re vegetarian or vegan as it is most commonly found in oily fish
Whole sesame seeds are a very good source of iron (again, important for vegetarians and vegans)

This flapjack is quick and easy to make – and is so delicious, that the health benefits are an additional bonus… and we didn’t even get started on the goodness of dried fruit!

Click here to pin our recipe for future reference!

Fruit and nut flapjack

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Cook Time 20

Course Snack

Cuisine British

Servings 9

Ingredients

200 g butter
125 g honey
350 g rolled oats
50 g dried fruit currants, raisins, sultanas, cranberries, blueberries, dates, figs, apricots etc.
50 g seeds and/or nuts roughly chopped - linseeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, macadamias, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds etc.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2
Put the butter into a large saucepan on a low heat. When the butter has melted, add the honey and stir to combine
Turn off the heat, add the oats, dried fruit and nuts/seeds and mix well
Put the mixture into a 23cm/9-inch shallow square cake tin and flatten down firmly with the back of a serving spoon
Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned
Allow to cool in the tin before cutting into squares or finger-shaped portions

You can store the flapjacks for up to 3 days in an airtight greaseproof paper-lined tin or plastic container

Keyword flapjack, oats

Cakes & Bakes: Flapjack

I’ve been promising to send my sister-in-law my flapjack recipe for years. I normally make them by eye and consistency but today I poured the ingredients out into a bowl on scales and wrote it all down. I make a batch of them every couple of weeks or so – we have one with a cup of tea in the afternoon or when we don’t fancy a big dessert after our evening meal.

I usually make them with dried fruit, nuts, seeds, dessicated coconut or crystallised ginger. Anyway, here’s my recipe, Flora, better late than never!

Cakes & Bakes: Flapjacks

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Ingredients

Basic recipe
175 g vegetable oil
30 g butter
125 g honey or golden syrup
350 g rolled oats
optional additional ingredients any one of the following
50 g dessicated coconut
25 g crystalised ginger
50 g dried fruit currents, raisins, sultanas, cranberries, blueberries, dates, figs or a mix of all of these
50 g seeds and/or nuts linseeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnut pieces, pecan, pieces, crushed hazelnuts, flaked almonds or a mix of all of these - the nuts are better if pre-roasted in the oven for a few minutes until lightly browned

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2
Put the oil with the butter into a large saucepan on a low heat. When the butter has melted, add the honey / golden syrup to the oil mixture and stir to mix
Turn off the heat, add the oats (and optional ingredients) and mix well
Put the mixture into a 23cm/9inch shallow square cake tin and flatten down firmly with the back of a serving spoon
Put into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned
Allow to cool in the tin then cut into squares or finger-shaped portions

H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: flapjack

Cakes & Bakes: Malted flapjacks

Malted flapjacks

Ingredients

Instructions

Cakes & Bakes: Fruit and nut flapjack

Fruit and nut flapjack

Ingredients

Instructions

Cakes & Bakes: Flapjack

Cakes & Bakes: Flapjacks

Ingredients

Instructions