Bakewell Flapjacks

For another very simple and a quick recipe I decide on some flapjacks.  But these are flapjacks with a difference as I wanted to incorporate the flavours of a Bakewell Tart.  Bakewell Tart is a wonderful dessert, which has a pastry base and sides which is filled with a lovely moist frangipane on top of a layer of raspberry jam.  Then flaked almonds are scattered on the top.  Variations exist, using a soft icing on the top, and sometimes cherry jam is used.  But for my flapjacks I wanted to incorporate the almond and raspberry flavour.  I found a couple recipes that showed some promise, so with a little tweaking I arrived at what I wanted.

Flapjacks, in the UK are different to what are known as flapjacks in the USA where I believe they are pancakes. In the UK flapjacks are made from oats and golden syrup with butter.  I have recipes on this blog for flapjacks, but these are different.  They are still made with the same basic ingredients of oats, butter, sugar and golden syrup, but with the addition of almond extract and raspberry jam as well as a small amount of ground almonds.

The recipe is easy to do and doesn’t take much time.  I also decided to put some soft icing on the top of mine, but that is optional. When mixing everything together if the liquid doesn’t get fully absorbed you can add more oats.  If the mixture seems too dry and crumbly you can add a little more syrup.

I must say I was very pleased with the result, a wonderful flapjack that had the usual texture and sweetness but with the added flavours from the jam and the almond extract.

Ingredients:

• 375g(3 cups) porridge oats(if using whole rolled oats give them a little blitz in a processor to break them up a little)
• 227g(2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in the cubes
• 96g(6 tbsp)golden syrup(corn syrup is a good substitute
• 110g(1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) soft brown sugar
• 30g(3 tbsp) ground almonds
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 150g(4 heaped tbsp) of raspberry jam
• 1/2 tsp salt

For icing:  (optional)

• 175g icing sugar
• about 2 tbsp cold water

Method:

1. Grease and line 20cm (8inch) square cake tin.
2. Place the butter, sugar and golden syrup into a saucepan and heat, stirring, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved and all is mixed together.
3. Remove from the heat and add the salt and the almond extract and stir in.
4. Add the oats and ground almonds and use a spoon to stir everything together, until all the liquid has been absorbed. If too wet add some more oats or, if too crumbly add a little more syrup).
5. Spoon half the mixture into the cake tin and spread evenly over the base, pressing down a little.
6. Spoon the jam onto the levelled mixture and spread that over too.
7. Spoon the remaining mixture onto the jam and, again, spread that over and level it off, pressing down lightly.
8. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the mixture has turned a nice golden brown and it appears to be set.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin.
10. Remove the flapjacks from the tin.
11. If you are not going to ice it cut into 16 equal sized squares and serve.
12. If you are icing, place the icing sugar into a bowl and add just under 2 tablespoons of water and then stir to form the icing.  Use a little more water, being careful to drip in only a little at a time, until you have an icing that is thick but runs off the spoon.  Be aware that a thick consisting in the icing is better than one which is too thin.
13. Spread the icing on the top of the flapjacks and leave for it to firm up.  
14. Cut into 16 squares and serve.