Flapjacks, a good old fashioned sweet treat... and not just for Halloween!!!

Spooktacular treats like Flapjacks are easy and inexpensive to make using cupboard staples and a healthier alternative to Halloween candy! Though I do like candy -a lot!-  I also love Flapjacks.... and they don't seem as naughty when you're consuming your own weight in them! Not that I'd advise anyone to eat too much sugar but if there's one day that you can go a little mad on the sweet stuff it's on Halloween so... you know, enjoy within reason!

So below is my basic Flapjack recipe which is super easy to knock up! It takes all of about 10 minutes and about 20/25 minutes to bake.

Note: You can omit the dried fruit and nuts if you wish but as it's Samhain I decided to treat myself to the max and added as much of the extras as I wanted. You can use the basic recipe and add your own twists like a caramel and chocolate topping or even add to the mix some coconut, banana chips and/ or chocolate chips!

Here's my Flapjack recipe: 

• 150g butter 
• 65g Light Brown soft sugar
• 3 generous tbsp of Golden Syrup
• 250g rolled oats (porridge oats) 

The extras...

• zest of one orange
• hand full of dried cranberries (or substitute for which ever fruit you prefer like figs, dates, apricots or mixed peel)
• 80 grams of mixed nuts (walnuts, macadamia, pecan, almonds, Brazil nuts etc.)
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) gas 4.
Grease and line a shallow 20cm square tin with grease proof / baking paper.
Put the butter, sugar and Golden Syrup into a medium pan and gently heat until melted. chop nuts and zest a large orange into the oat mix.
Remove the butter and sugar mixture from the hob and leave to slightly cool.
Stir in the oat mixture until incorporated.
Turn mix into the tin, level and press the mixture evenly and firmly with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Do not over bake or it'll become hard and quite dry.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack still in the tin for10 minutes then mark into 12 or 16 pieces whilst still warm.
If you're adding a layer of chocolate topping remember to do so while the Flapjacks are still in the tin.
Cool completely before turning out onto a board and cutting again with a sharp knife.