British flapjacks are nothing like American flapjacks. Think granola bar, not pancake. They’re a little bit chewy, a little bit crunchy and nerdily uncool in their humble, oaty goodness. Unlike, say, the macaron, there’s no delicate piping, no pastel boxes, no Parisian drama. The flapjack is the sturdy raincoat of the baking world: humble, dependable, and shyly excellent. The macaron might pose elegantly in the window of a chic pâtisserie, but the flapjack’s in the kitchen making a proper cup of tea and getting on with things.
Flapjacks are rich in buttery, caramel-ly goodness and have a surprising depth of flavour for something so simple. I like adding a bit of lemon zest to mine, which rounds out and deepens all the toasty notes.
And best of all, unlike the fussy macaron, flapjacks are laughably easy to make. In less than ten minutes the ingredients are in the pan, in the oven and well on their way to being divine. Not a single existential crises over undeveloped “feet” in sight.
There is one tiny catch: you really do need Lyle’s Golden Syrup. Fortunately, it’s much easier to find these days — lots of supermarkets carry it, and there’s always Amazon if necessary. Once you’ve bought some, you’ll discover it’s dangerously good on toast, where it runs a very close second to marmalade.
Look at those gorgeous, caramelized edges. Edges are the best! So, enjoy a flapjack with your afternoon cup of tea, or, even, your morning cup of tea—they’re made with oats, which I’m pretty sure qualifies them as breakfast.
Flapjacks
- unsalted butter, 1 stick
- brown sugar, 1/2 cup
- golden syrup, 1/4 cup
- lemon, zest of 1
- rolled oats, 2 1/3 cups
- pinch of salt
- Preheat oven to 350 ˚F. Butter an 8×8 metal baking pan.
- Combine butter, sugar, syrup and lemon zest in medium saucepan and heat gently until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
- Remove from heat and stir in oats and salt, mixing until well combined.
- Pour into prepared pan, spreading and pressing down into an even layer.
- Bake about 25 minutes until golden brown. Edges may be a little darker.
- Cool on a rack for ten minutes or so before cutting into squares. The mixture will be soft at first but firms up upon cooling.