Apricot & Gingernut flapjacks (vegan)

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For me Flapjacks are very nostalgic. they remind me of Friday morning break time at primary school when Mrs Long the school’s cook would have a tuckshop set up at the back of the kitchen. She would sell lots of baked goodies for 20p, from slices of cheese pizza, shortbread, toffee tart, muffins or chocolate iced oat slabs but, my absolute favourite was her consistently chewy flapjacks. Except, when she put currants in them, I was not, a fruity kid back then!

I had a little bit of an addiction to flapjacks when I was younger. Every time I had to go to my Dad’s house I would refuse to eat anything but flapjacks for breakfast. Mum would never have allowed it but my Dad was a big old softie, plus he had a sweet spot for them too so we would eat flapjacks together at breakfast.

Since then my tastebuds have matured! These flapjacks are jam packed with soft, chewy apricots, crunchy brazil nuts to offset the gooeyness of the syrupy oats as well as being spiked with ginger. Every now and then you get hit with a pocket of fiery crystallised ginger which is so cosy and comforting. These flapjacks are gluten free and vegan, coconut oil replaces butter but you could also use any other oil like sunflower or avocado although, the coconut seems to exentuate the warming ginger ten fold. 

I think what makes flapjacks even greater is that you just have to melt a few sugary ingredients together before dumping in some oats, mixing it together and then plopping the sticky mix into a tin and bunging it in the oven to bake. That’s is exactly how this recipe works!

(This recipe makes 12 flapjacks)

INGREDIENTS:

• 200g coconut oil
• 200g maple syrup
• 75g unrefined sugar
• tsp ground ginger
• 350g gluten free rolled oats
• 100 apricots (roughly chopped)
• 50g brazil nuts (roughly chopped)
• 50g crystallised ginger (roughly chopped)

METHOD:

1.Preheat the oven to 180 or 160 degrees for fan assisted ovens and then grease and line an 8inch square tin. Over medium heat melt together the oil, syrup and sugar in a large saucepan. Remove the mixture from the heat once the sugar has dissolved. The mixture will probably bubble and boil as it melts, swirl the pan every now and then to make sure everything is well combined.

2. Take the syrupy liquid off the heat and add the remaining ingredients to the pan, stir everything together until well combined.  Tumble the oaty mixture into the tin and firmly press down and compact the mixture. This will help it stick together and not crumble apart when cut up later. Bake the flapjacks in the oven 25-30 minutes until golden and you press the top and it is firm on the surface but still feels soft and squishy underneath. These flapjacks will firm up some more as they cool too.

3. When baked, remove the flapjacks from the oven, and whilst still in the tin cut them into 12 slices and then press down on the mixture again with the back of spoon or fish slice, this will ensure the flapjacks stay firm and chewy and not crumble when released from the tin. Leave them to cool in the tin for 15 minutes hen lift the whole flapjack slap still in greaseproof onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cold cut through the flapjacks again before storing in an air tight tin.These flapjacks will last for a week or two kept in a cool, dry place.