Brown butter flapjacks

While a treat made up almost entirely of oats may not scream out to you as desirable, I ask that you taste before you judge. A textural dream and wholesomely, comfortingly delicious, flapjacks don’t get enough attention in my opinion–chewy with slightly crisp, caramelised edges and laced with the aromatic flavour of brown butter, these flapjacks are stuffed with crunchy pecans, nibs of pumpkin seeds and plump raisins. They’re a treat that delivers far more than the effort or time required to make them would suggest, and they will sit in a sealed container happily for up to a week, ready to be gobbled up when a pang for sweetness hits.

You can get creative as far as add ins go here. I tend to default to a combination of nuts, seeds and dried fruit, but if you want to go down a more indulgent route then you could chuck in some roughly chopped chocolate, or drizzle the flapjacks with melted chocolate post-bake. Whatever you decide to add, I suggest that you stick to the total weight that is used in this recipe, which is 170g.

Makes approx. 16 flapjacks, but entirely dependant on the size that you cut them

butter 270g, to make 230g brown butter
golden syrup 190g, you could use honey if golden syrup isn’t available, but note that the honey will then be a prominent flavour
light brown sugar 180g
flaky sea salt a pinch
oats 410g, I recommend using jumbo oats
pecans 80g, roughly chopped
raisins 65g
pumpkin seeds 25g

Preheat the oven to 160C fan and grease and line a 27x16cm baking dish at least 4cm deep. Brown the butter, then add the golden syrup and light brown sugar to the pot and cook over medium heat while mixing constantly–be sure not to let the mixture boil, we just need the sugar to melt.
butter 270g, golden syrup 190g, light brown sugar 180gOnce the sugar has completely melted, remove the pot from the heat and add the salt and oats, mixing well until the oats are well coated. Add in the pecans, pumpkin seeds and raisins (or your preferred add ins) and mix well until evenly distributed, then pour into the prepared baking dish.
flaky sea salt a pinch, oats 410g, I recommend using jumbo oats, pecans 80g, roughly chopped, raisins 65g, pumpkin seeds 25g

Spread the mixture out as evenly as you can then compact it down firmly–I find a spatula is the best tool for this. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until golden–note that it will still have a slight jiggle to it, but it will settle as it cools. Allow to cool completely in the baking dish at room temperature before cutting.

The flapjacks should be stored in a sealed container at room temperature, where they will keep for 5-7 days. If it is particularly warm, then I recommend storing them in the fridge.