Chocolate Flapjacks Food

CHOCOLATE FLAPJACKS

Steps:

• First make the Honey crunch granola with almonds & apricots (see 'Goes well with'). You'll need half the granola for this recipe.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a baking tin (15 x 20cm, or 18cm square) with baking parchment. Melt the butter and honey together in a large pan. Stir in the granola and chocolate chunks, making sure they are all well coated.
• Tip the flapjack mix into the tin and press down very firmly (a potato masher is a good tool to use here). Cover with foil or more baking parchment, then bake for 25-30 mins. Leave to cool in the tin, then drizzle over the melted chocolate. Once set, cut into 8 portions. Can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days.

CHOCOLATE & CARAMEL FLAPJACKS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Place the sugar, butter and golden syrup together in a saucepan and gently heat until the butter has melted, stirring occasionally. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the oats, mixing thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a lined and lightly greased 22cm square tin, pressing it out evenly using the back of a wooden spoon. Bake in the centre of the oven for 40-45 mins.
• Allow the mixture to cool in the tin for 10 mins (or for best results, leave to cool completely overnight), then evenly spread over the caramel. There can be discrepancies between the thickness of caramel, and the more you stir the runnier it gets. If it looks too thin pop it into a pan and boil for a few minutes, stirring. Then leave to cool - it should be thicker. Chill until firm.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, then stir in the oil and pour over the chilled caramel flapjack base. Let the chocolate set, then cut into squares. Setting chocolate on top of something squidgy can make it difficult to cut, this is why the oil is added.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE FLAPJACKS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a 25 x 18cm baking tin with baking parchment. Put the oats in a bowl with a pinch of salt.
• Gently melt the butter in a small pan with the sugar and syrup. Once melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool for a couple of mins. Grate the orange zest into the pan and squeeze in the juice. Pour into the oats and stir thoroughly, until it's all combined, then add three quarters of the chopped chocolate.
• Pour the whole mix into the baking tin and press down with the back of a spoon. Press the remaining chocolate into the tray, then bake for 15-20 mins, until golden. Cut into squares and remove from the tin. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

PEAR & CHOCOLATE FLAPJACKS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush a 20 x 20cm square baking tin with butter, then line with two strips of baking parchment (see How to Line a Cake Tin).
• Weigh the butter and sugar into a large saucepan. Add the honey and a pinch of salt to the pan. Place the pan on the hob and turn the heat to medium. Stir carefully while the butter and sugar melt; once it's bubbling, turn off the heat and leave to cool for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, place a large mixing bowl on the scales and weigh the oats.
• Open the can of pears and drain off the liquid through a sieve (save the liquid for another recipe, see below). Dry the pears on a little kitchen paper and chop them into small pieces. Add the pear pieces to the oats.
• Carefully pour the melted butter and sugar mixture into the bowl along with the oats and pears. Stir until well combined.
• Tip the oat mixture into the lined baking tin and press down with the back of your spoon to make a flat, even surface. Use oven gloves to carefully place the tin in the oven on the middle shelf. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown.
• Wearing oven gloves, carefully remove the tin from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
• Break the chocolate into small pieces and put in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir and microwave for another 15 seconds, or until the chocolate has melted. Drizzle the chocolate over the flapjacks. Leave to cool completely, then remove the flapjacks from the tin and cut into nine or 12 pieces.

CHOCOLATE-STUFFED FLAPJACK BARS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 20cm square baking tin with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugars together in a bowl until pale using an electric whisk.
• Stir the baking powder into the spelt flour, then gradually mix into the sugar and butter. Stir in the oats.
• For the filling, melt the butter, sugar and 80g of the dark chocolate and all of the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water and stirring occasionally. Or, do this in short 20-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each burst. Remove from the heat, then add the cocoa, spelt flour and baking powder, and mix until well combined.
• Lightly dust a sheet of baking parchment the same size as the tin with flour, then spread half of the flapjack mixture over it. Place another 20cm sheet of parchment on top. Roll the mixture out to the edges of the parchment, then peel off the parchment and place in the lined baking tin.
• Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the top. Repeat step 4 with the other half of the flapjack mix, and place on top of the chocolate layer.
• Bake on the middle shelf for 45-50 mins or until golden brown. Leave to cool completely.
• Melt the reserved 20g chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water or in 10-second bursts in the microwave. Drizzle over the traybake, leave to set for 10 mins, then cut into squares. Will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED FLAPJACK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/350F/Gas 4, 10 minutes before baking. Lightly oil a 33 x 23 cm swiss roll tin and line with nonstick baking parchment. Place the flour, rolled oats, the light muscovado sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl and stir well together.
• Melt the butter and golden syrup together in a heavy-based saucepan and stir until smooth, then add to the oat mixture and mix together thoroughly. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and press down firmly and level the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and leave the flapjack to cool in the tin. Once cool, remove from the tin. Discard the parchment.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Alterntively, melt the chocolate in the microwave according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once the chocolate has melted quickly beat in the cream, then pour over the flapjack. Mark patterns over the chocolate with a fork when almost set.
• Chill the flapjack in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars. When the chocolate has set, serve. Store in an airtight container for a few days.

WHITE CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY FLAPJACKS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 23 x 23cm square baking tin with baking parchment. Tip the butter, sugar and honey into a medium pan over a low-medium heat, and stir until everything has melted together.
• Tip the oats into a large bowl, then pour over the buttery sugar mixture and stir to combine. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then fold in the white chocolate chips and freeze-dried raspberries. Tip the flapjack mix into the prepared tin and press into the base. Bake for 20-24 mins until golden and crisp at the edges. Leave to cool in the tin for 2 hrs.
• For the topping, melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water, or in 20-second bursts in the microwave. Pour this over the cooled flapjacks, spread to the edges, then scatter over the fresh and freeze-dried raspberries. Leave to set for 1 hr, then cut into 12 large or 24 small squares. Will keep chilled for three days. Serve at room temperature.