Chocolate Chip Flapjacks

9/21/2016

My mother in law, Gigi, makes the best flapjacks. Her name isn't really Gigi, but that is what we have all been calling her since my daughter was learning to talk about 12 years ago. Like most youngsters of that age, speech is for the "acquired" listener. Ie.., usually only mom knows what in the world they are saying. Well, my child couldn't say Grandma, and the name Gigi was born. Just like that, it stuck. And just to clear things up, the Grandpa is Chomper. We take no credit for that original one!

Let's talk flapjacks.

I am pretty sure the very first time I had a flapjack was at Gigi's place. A long time ago. I remember them being sweet, chewy and delicious. I asked for the recipe. For which there wasn’t really one. Just a spoken word about how much portions of fat to sugar. So, I did my best, and failed. I tried again, and failed. Again, again and again coming up with varying degrees of "good", "terrible" and finally something worth talking about. Still, nothing that I will make will match my memory of eating those Flapjacks in Devon all those years ago.

All that being said, these flapjacks are worth making, eating and sharing with your friends. Easy, so easy. You hardly need any ingredients and all you need to do it stir. There is hardly any mess, bonus.

Traditionally, flapjacks use golden syrup, but you can't buy that stuff around here. The closest substitute I could find is honey. While honey does work and they do taste great, they are not as chewy as if you use golden syrup. They are not crunchy either, so don't worry. Still, this is a chewy flapjack.

When you are making these flapjacks, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, allow the mixture to cool completely before adding the chocolate chips. Otherwise, you will just end up with melted chocolate in your flapjacks. Again, I know this from experience. The best teacher! When pressing them into the pan, make sure you do a real good job. Firmly press the mixture in or it will crumble when cooked. Also, don't over bake them. They are not too forgiving if left in the oven too long. You will end up with something that you could break apart like a cracker. So, keep an eye on them. They will be quite soft when you remove them from the oven. They will set as they cool.

Happy Flapjack making!

Chocolate Chip Flapjacks

Makes 16 / Prep time: 10 minutes / Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 1/2 Cups/225 grams oats
1/3 Cup/65 grams brown sugar
1/4 Cup/85 grams honey
1/2 Cup/110 grams butter
1/2 Cup/ 90 grams chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line an 8 inch square baking tin and set aside.

In a saucepan set over low heat, add the butter, honey and brown sugar. Stir until melted. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl combine the melted mixture with the oats. Stir to combine and leave to cool. Add chocolate chips and mix with a spoon.

Pour into prepared pan and flatten out evenly with a spatula. Bake for about 15 minutes. Should be golden around the edges and soft in the middle.

Leave to cool on a wire rack completely before cutting into squares.

Click the downloadable link below to print recipe!