When Is an Oat Not An Oat? (for flapjacks/cereal bars)

Bunny200

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'm working with this no-bake recipe, using a microwave:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Quick--Easy-Microwave-Flapjacks-Recipe-on-a-Budget

And they were instantly brilliant.

First time it came out lovely and soft and chewy. I added dessicated coconut and sultanas and topped them with chocolate.

Second time I reduced the golden syrup by about half and it set faster. I mixed in dessicated coconut, glace cherries, walnuts and mixed citrus peel.

The third time I thought I'd try a different shape, so I just made the basic mix and this time placed just glace cherries into the bottom of a muffin tin then squashed the flapjack mix on top - once set and turned over, these came out as brilliant cherry-topped individual flapjacks.

Now I'm ready for the fourth batch!

I live alone and am using this recipe because 4 minutes of an 800watt microwave is cheaper than having a whole oven heat up for half an hour before baking flapjacks for 20 minutes, in an oven that probably runs at several kW/hour. I only use my oven once a week max because it only has one shelf and takes so long to heat up.

That recipe sounds great, will give that a try in the next few days I think, although not sure I have enough Golden Syrup, its on the shopping list! I seem to have loads of recipes for flapjacks and still struggling to find the best, in terms of not too much butter etc but sneak in extra fruit. Last one I made was really scrummy but very crumbly.

PasturesNew

Bunny200 wrote: »

That recipe sounds great, will give that a try in the next few days I think, although not sure I have enough Golden Syrup, its on the shopping list! I seem to have loads of recipes for flapjacks and still struggling to find the best, in terms of not too much butter etc but sneak in extra fruit. Last one I made was really scrummy but very crumbly.

The first tin I bought some time back was tricky to use. Trying to measure/weigh out treacle is a s0d.

So I bought a squeezy bottle and I looked up for how much weight of golden syrup equalled the amount I needed. Looking now at the size of the bottle I had I must have used 150-170g in the first batch. Now I use about 1/4 of that bottle. The squeezy bottle (Lyles Squeezy Syrup) has a bit of a flange type of hole, so once you stop squeezing, there is literally not a drop more coming out - so it's super-clean and easy to use.

So now I've refined the recipe down so I don't think I'll need to measure/weigh anything (makes it quicker/easier). I think I've got it down to: half a block of butter, couple of spoons of sugar, melt. Squeeze in about 1/4 of the bottle of golden syrup (based on it being a 340g bottle). Stir that in. Then pour in the oats until you've got just over 3/4 of a pint in total of the mix and it's all binding. If I use a 1 pint Pyrex jug then it doesn't spill over when I nuke it - and when I've finished I fill the empty jug with boiling water it washes up a treat.

EssexHebridean

One thing I'm struggling to get these days is ordinary oatmeal - not porridge oats, those are easy, but it used to be possible to buy the ordinary oatmeal in the supermarket - none of them appear to sell it now?! If anyone has any ideas I'd be most grateful - I like to make my own oatcakes and you need oatmeal for those. I also used to use a handlful in stews, soups etc. It has a more "thickening" effect than porridge oats.

Gingernutmeg

mardatha wrote: »

would anybody know if I could sub honey for syrup ? I have loads of honey and no syrup !

I don't know about flapjacks but you can sustitute honey for syrup in the famous hobnob recipe - I make honey and ginger ones and they're lovely I'd imagine you could do it in flapjack, but I'd have a go with a small batch first. It might be that you need to do say half syrup and half honey - they might be a but crispier with all honey. Worth a go though.

geordie_joe

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'm working with this no-bake recipe, using a microwave:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Quick--Easy-Microwave-Flapjacks-Recipe-on-a-Budget

And they were instantly brilliant.

Thanks, I'll be giving that a go real soon. My local Morrisons are doing tins of Tate & Lyle Golden Syrup at 2 for £1.30 so time to stock up.

Bronnie

PasturesNew wrote: »

The first tin I bought some time back was tricky to use. Trying to measure/weigh out treacle is a s0d.

So I bought a squeezy bottle and I looked up for how much weight of golden syrup equalled the amount I needed. Looking now at the size of the bottle I had I must have used 150-170g in the first batch. Now I use about 1/4 of that bottle. The squeezy bottle (Lyles Squeezy Syrup) has a bit of a flange type of hole, so once you stop squeezing, there is literally not a drop more coming out - so it's super-clean and easy to use.

So now I've refined the recipe down so I don't think I'll need to measure/weigh anything (makes it quicker/easier). I think I've got it down to: half a block of butter, couple of spoons of sugar, melt. Squeeze in about 1/4 of the bottle of golden syrup (based on it being a 340g bottle). Stir that in. Then pour in the oats until you've got just over 3/4 of a pint in total of the mix and it's all binding. If I use a 1 pint Pyrex jug then it doesn't spill over when I nuke it - and when I've finished I fill the empty jug with boiling water it washes up a treat.

Put the mixing jug on the scale, adjust the scale to zero, just dip a metal spoon in boiling water, the syrup spoons cleanly out of the tin and slips straight off into the mixing jug. No mess and cheaper than squeezy syrup!

geordie_joe

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'm working with this no-bake recipe, using a microwave:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Quick--Easy-Microwave-Flapjacks-Recipe-on-a-Budget

And they were instantly brilliant.

Mine are cooling down at this very minute. Have to say they look good and were very easy to make.

PasturesNew

Bronnie wrote: »

Put the mixing jug on the scale, adjust the scale to zero, just dip a metal spoon in boiling water, the syrup spoons cleanly out of the tin and slips straight off into the mixing jug. No mess and cheaper than squeezy syrup!

Nice idea but I spent out on some scales already (£10) that sometimes don't work. They don't seem to work with smallish amounts - and when trying to add things into a bowl they even power off half way through, which is annoying. So I worked with what I had.

I've also tried the hot spoon thing - and that just didn't work. The stuff still stuck to the spoon. Unless you used lots of spoons.

PasturesNew

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'm working with this no-bake recipe, using a microwave:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Quick--Easy-Microwave-Flapjacks-Recipe-on-a-Budget

I just made some raspberry and cranberry flapjacks
I filled up a muffin tray to half the height - and put the rest into the bottom of a loaf tin. So I have 6 individual flapjacks and a slab of it.

I used this: http://www.dorsetcereals.co.uk/our-recipes/porridges/cranberry-raspberry-fruity-porridge

janb5

EssexHebridean wrote: »

One thing I'm struggling to get these days is ordinary oatmeal - not porridge oats, those are easy, but it used to be possible to buy the ordinary oatmeal in the supermarket - none of them appear to sell it now?! If anyone has any ideas I'd be most grateful - I like to make my own oatcakes and you need oatmeal for those. I also used to use a handlful in stews, soups etc. It has a more "thickening" effect than porridge oats.

Try health food shops who sell it - I buy it for making parkin. Also my local Waitrose sell it- not sure about the others. HTH