Phil Gyford

Writing

Sunday 19 January 2003

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I’ve been experimenting with making flapjack and the current batch is a winner. Here’s the recipe…

  • 300g oats
  • 225g soft light brown sugar
  • 225g butter
  • 100g raisins
  • a small knob of ginger, cut into tiny bits

Grease a baking tray (mine’s about 20cm/9” square). Set the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Melt the butter in a saucepan and once melted add the sugar. Warm gently, then remove from the heat and stir in the oats, raisins and ginger. Press into the baking tray (if your hands are wet I think the mixture sticks to you less).

Bake for up to 20 minutes. Don’t wait for the flapjack to turn brown, as if you leave it too long it’ll end up far too hard. Cut into squares or slices while it’s warm, then leave in the tray to cool.

These amounts give me 16 chunky squares using my baking tray. You can leave out the raisins and ginger if you like. And you can add 90ml/6 tbsp of golden syrup when adding the sugar; this gives you flapjack that’s more sticky than crumbly. This recipe’s a combination of one in a modern Mrs Beeton book and one my grandma used to make.

Comments

its very good because iam making it

Posted by umar on 20 October 2003, 7:48 pm | Link

i like itttttttt. its rubbish but nooo its veryy goood instructions

Posted by umar on 20 October 2003, 7:50 pm | Link

I looooove oat flapjacks and want to try this recipe. However, I do not have measuring equipment so if I ws measuring using cups, how many cups of each do I need???

Posted by Elena on 14 May 2004, 8:06 pm | Link

if u go to www.exploratorium.edu/… -it has all the cookery weights and measurment conversion , bit of useful info for u all !

Posted by Eluise on 13 February 2005, 5:04 am | Link

well, i'm gonna use this recipe in school tomorrow for my food tech exam. so if I get an F, it's your fault, OK?!?

Posted by Luna on 21 April 2005, 7:05 pm | Link

use mixed fruits and then top with cooking chokolate...mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Posted by jimmy on 6 May 2005, 6:02 pm | Link

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM, i used these at a farewell party we had for my last day of schoool. And everyone LOVED them. U r GENIUS!!!!!

Posted by my lovely horse on 11 May 2005, 9:40 pm | Link

SUCH AN EASY RECIPE THAT EVEN I CAN'T MESS UP AND TOTALLY YUMMY!! ONLY PROBLEM IS I CAN'T STOP EATING THEM. A GORGOEUS FABAROONEY RECIPE, THANKS XX

Posted by sammi webstedr on 26 June 2005, 3:37 pm | Link

The conversion chart has changed pages, here is the new link http://exploratorium.edu/cooking/convert/conversion.html

Posted by Mark on 4 October 2005, 12:13 am | Link

1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, a handful of sunflower seed and two grated eating apples are good in place of ginger and rasins - I find that dried frut in flapjacks always gets too caramelised

Posted by Alex on 15 November 2005, 10:52 pm | Link

Great recipe, however what struck me more was the apparent inability of all the visitors to this site to spell correctly. Don't they teach kids anything in school anymore??

Posted by Pretty-Polly on 27 November 2005, 2:24 pm | Link

They teach kids a lot in school nowadays, however kids find their own language as time moves on. You can look at it as a written slang language or as a trend, not as spelling mistakes. So don't worry too much, they will most likely learn how to spell correctly in due time.

Posted by Humphrey Bogart on 27 November 2005, 7:05 pm | Link

that spellin comant was funny and funier tooo was the reply.. your resipi was mint flap jaks ruuuule

Im a grate speler and dislexicle

hottizzle

Posted by hot tizzle on 5 December 2005, 10:51 pm | Link

Since writing this I've come across another rather good recipe (scroll down the page).

Lots more nuts and fruit and things, so worth a try if you want a change!

Posted by Phil Gyford on 10 February 2006, 10:06 am | Link

Just cooking the flapjack, recipe very easy to follow! Thanx a lot! i hope it tastes gd!

Posted by Nixie on 17 March 2006, 7:55 pm | Link

hello my name is megan and i am 13 years old i think your recipie is amazing thank you very much and my granparents loved it !!!!!!!!! thanks againxxx

Posted by worlds youngest chef on 24 March 2006, 7:57 pm | Link

Hi, my name is Nicky, and I'm 12, I'm made your flapjacks. My family thought they were sooooooooo delicious that they have me making a batch each Saturday for after tea!!!!!!!! Thanks, Nicky!

Posted by Worlds youngest ever chef!!! on 29 March 2006, 2:41 pm | Link

i am going to use this recipe at scool tomorow thanks

hannah
xxx

Posted by hannah on 29 April 2006, 9:30 am | Link

I have just come across this site and my son and i are going to try and make them tomorrow. We have made play dough and he was a bit gutted that he could not eat it, hense why i am making something simple!!!!! Thanks :)

Posted by Shell & Aston on 17 June 2006, 8:19 pm | Link

why do you not put golden syrup in your flapjacks?

Posted by shirley on 8 July 2006, 6:34 pm | Link

This is a great recipe and works really well - I'd lost the copy I took last month - and so pleased I found you again! :o)

Posted by Anna on 25 July 2006, 7:09 pm | Link

[ Also to Shirley :) ]
I am ever so happy to find a recipe of flapjack without that golden syrup, for in my country we do not have it!!!
Thanks a lot!

Posted by Noémi on 23 August 2006, 5:34 am | Link

Noémi, you could use corn syrup instead of golden syrup, or even honey!

Posted by Ian on 2 September 2006, 4:38 pm | Link

REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY NICE CHERERS MATE

Posted by i love flapjaKS on 8 September 2006, 7:31 pm | Link

a brill recipe thankyou x

Posted by Andie on 22 October 2006, 4:18 pm | Link

hi i made these flapjacks today all on my own they are fabulous i am gonna make them for my food tech exam !!!

Posted by pony mad on 12 November 2006, 2:16 pm | Link

Fab recipe easy to follow. I swapped the raisins and ginger for halved cherries and blanched almonds and they taste great :o)

Posted by Teresa on 14 November 2006, 6:36 pm | Link

My mum and dad are going out so i'm going to make them for me and my gran! it might keep her quiet for a while

Posted by Tillie on 18 November 2006, 5:53 pm | Link

Very easy 'n' simple to do. This recipe was great and everyone was satisfied. Also Jimmy's advice about topping with cooking chocolate worked very well too. Thanx alot!

Posted by Lauren on 18 November 2006, 6:42 pm | Link

I tried these today and they are great insructions really easy to follow!

Posted by Frances on 14 January 2007, 10:14 am | Link

hi, i thought his recipe was intesting,i made one lot that i thought i would not like (this is my boyfriends favourite) but6 i lovd it (LOVED IT!!)

Posted by huth on 24 January 2007, 5:02 pm | Link

mmmmmmm i love flapjack!!!! and these were yummy whoo!!!

Posted by Princess Flapjack on 27 January 2007, 6:17 pm | Link

Looks good, they're in the oven now. 13 mins to go...

Posted by rennie45 on 25 February 2007, 3:57 am | Link

great recipe, have used it loads now and have just taught my 10 year old to make them!!

Posted by jojo on 31 March 2007, 7:50 pm | Link

It's delicious! I'm 12. My parents had gone away for the weekend and I made them as a surprise.. and they loved them! We're having a birthday party next week and my mum wants me to make more batches.. amazing!!
xx

Posted by Erin O'Neill on 6 May 2007, 10:25 am | Link

it's great, im 12 too! I made them for my village fair and every one loved them! thanks!

Posted by Chlo chlo on 10 June 2007, 11:36 am | Link

yo dis is wkd man i totally luv it wot do yoooh fink of it ppl

Posted by jo on 13 June 2007, 12:49 pm | Link

THe recipe was clear and easy to read the wholo squad loved it thanks.

Posted by Red arows pilot on 8 July 2007, 9:48 am | Link

Great Recipe, I had a lot of oats that needed using up!

Thanks

Patrick

Posted by Patrick on 22 July 2007, 4:30 pm | Link

This thing has better me good. It's in the over now ;)

Posted by Nigel on 17 October 2007, 4:32 am | Link

As a follow-up...I don't like raisins so I left them out. Note for next time, make up with extra oats.
I didn't have any golden syrup so I used a drop of honey about a table spoon.

These were the most amazing flapjacks that I've ever made. So simple, so quick, so fattening :) They've all gone already (lasted 2 1/2 days).

They'd have gone quicker but I saw how much butter was in there ;)

Thanks for the recipe.

Posted by Nigel on 18 October 2007, 10:55 pm | Link

My wife liked these so much, she's asked me to make another batch tonight! lol. Better go to the store for more butter and sugar!

Posted by Nigel (again) on 19 October 2007, 2:13 am | Link

Iyuurrrs babes.
that flapjack was well fit,
Had to walk to the store for oats and sugar.
was well worth it.
tarrrr Babes
love yazzz.
xx

Posted by FlapJack Fernatics on 9 December 2007, 3:49 pm | Link

Ginger makes for great flapjack- nice to see someone else thinks so.

Posted by Fat Rich on 4 July 2008, 10:31 am | Link

I am really looking foward to trying this. The recipie looks good and the comments people have left rae really re - assuring me.
thankks
xxxxx

Posted by A.D on 18 January 2009, 10:41 am | Link

I was wondering if anyone knew the recipe for making soft,soggy and buttery flapjack? been looking for a while now

Posted by katie on 30 January 2009, 5:00 pm | Link

this is a verry good recipe. taste grate but very adictive

Posted by chris boxall on 3 February 2009, 12:41 pm | Link

hii just put it into the oven!! :D hope it turns out okayy!!!! x x x

Posted by Chloee x on 20 September 2009, 6:43 pm | Link

you must of doubled the recipe, no way is that what i'd put in !!! i have a better recipe

Posted by kinka on 1 December 2009, 6:05 pm | Link

i tired making flapjacks from the i can cook recipe from cbeebies. Yeah, i know it is kind of babish but they turned out okay. Not too good not too bad. I want to try making this recipe but i don't know will it turn out good.

Posted by jack on 30 January 2010, 4:07 pm | Link

I was watching a BBC programme and they made "Ginger Cake", but they did not give any quantities or instructions. I went onto their web site but as I live in Spain they said that the information was not available in my area. Annoyed, I went onto the web and found your recip, tried it, and it was brilliant. Thanks.

Posted by Brian Buckley on 17 October 2010, 1:56 pm | Link

WOW I just made them and they turned out wonderful thank you! me and my family loved them my two sons cant stop them selves from eating them while they watch cbeebies.

My neighbour was wondering if she could use toffee hoops instead of raisins and no ginger? she cant eat ginger and she doesn't like raisins.

Posted by Ella on 14 August 2011, 2:56 pm | Link

I'm glad you liked them Ella! There's only one way to find out if toffee hoops would be good... give it a try and let us know how it goes.

Posted by Phil Gyford on 14 August 2011, 5:42 pm | Link

How funny Phil, we were searching to find out why our flapjacks were too crumbly and your page came up 3rd on Google. And there was I thinking Pepys was your speciality! Hope you are well, love Andrew, Lucy and the girls x

Posted by Lucy Carruthers on 10 September 2011, 1:25 pm | Link

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