A Quick And Easy Flapjack Recipe

Flapjacks are an excellent way of getting some goodness into our children, without our children putting up a fight. If something tastes nice and sweet, then a child is more inclined to eat it and that probably applies to a lot of us adults too!!

• These flapjacks contain plenty of oats. Did you know that oats are a wholegrain and high in fibre? We probably don't eat enough wholegrain foods on a daily basis, we should be eating around 50gr a day, so these flapjacks are a tasty way of boosting our intake of wholegrain. Wholegrain foods are very beneficial to our health, they help to keep our immune systems in tip top condition and are excellent at protecting us from heart disease and many other ailments. They are high in antioxidants, B vitamins and fibre among many other vitamins and minerals, all good stuff!!
• They also contain loads of honey. Honey is full of natural sugars making it ideal for when we need an energy boost, it is also high in antioxidants that help to protect our bodies from nasty diseases.
• A handful of dessicated coconut adds even more goodness, coconut oil although it is high in calories is one of the healthiest oils to consume, it is good for the heart and helps to keep our immune and digestive systems working smoothly. The coconut is also what gives these flapjacks their slightly chew texture.

You will need:

125gr butter or margarine

50gr light brown soft sugar

3 good tablespoons of honey

250gr rolled oats

100gr dessicated coconut

* You could also add chopped hazelnuts, cranberries, chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, sultanas, raisins, chopped apricots, flaked almonds or even a combination of what you fancy.

I find the easiest way to line my cake tins is to cut a piece of baking parchment or greaseproof paper to fit your baking tin, so that the paper overhangs the sides of the tin. Then scrumple the paper under the tap to get it wet, open out the paper, give it a bit of a shake and press it into your tin - no fiddling with cutting and folding the so that the paper fits the tin and no greasing.

To make the flapjacks....

1. Preheat the oven to 190C, 375F or Gas mark 5.
2. Line a 20cm square cake tin or a tin of similar dimensions, the one I used was 15cm x 25cm. Line the tin with baking parchment or greaseproof paper. (See handy tip)
3. Gently melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan. (Picture 1)
4. Weigh the soft brown sugar and measure the honey and add it to the pan with the melted butter or margarine. Gently heat the pan until the sugar and honey has dissolved, stirring occasionally. The dissolved honey and sugar will sit as a brown sludge under the melted butter or margarine. (Pictures 2 and 3)
5. Weigh the oats and the coconut and roughly mix together in a bowl. (Picture 4)
6. Pour the melted butter or margarine, soft brown sugar and honey mix into the bowl with the oats and the dessicated coconut. (Pictures 5 and 6)
7. Empty the combined ingredients into your lined baking tin, then press the flapjack mix firmly into the baking tin. (Pictures 7 and 8)
8. Pop the flapjacks into the preheated oven for twenty minutes and then reduce the heat slightly and bake for a further fifteen to twenty minutes depending on the heat of your oven and how golden you like your flapjacks to be. Do keep an eye on them in the last part of cooking, because of the honey and coconut they can turn from a golden brown to a dark brown rather quickly!! (Picture 9 and 10)
9. Allow the flapjacks to cool in the tin for a few minutes, when slightly cool lift the whole flapjack piece out of the tin carefully, using the edges of the paper you used to line the tin. Put on a flat cutting surface like a large chopping board or a work surface that you can cut on. Using a knife cut the flapjack into about sixteen - twenty individual flapjacks, depending on the size and shape of your tin and the size you want your individual flapjacks to be. Place on a wire rack to cool properly.

** You could drizzle your flapjack with melted chocolate for an extra sweet treat!!

For more nutritious snack ideas for children check out my other hub.

Copyright © 2012 Debbie Roberts