all things food
I know this may sound ridiculous but often when it comes to hot cross buns, we can’t finish the whole batch of 12 before they go stale! Yes, I can then use them for an Easter French toast or bread & butter pudding but sometimes I would just r…
I know this may sound ridiculous but often when it comes to hot cross buns, we can’t finish the whole batch of 12 before they go stale! Yes, I can then use them for an Easter French toast or bread & butter pudding but sometimes I would just rather make a small batch of HCBs …
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Last Friday, The Great British Bake Off celebrated the start of its twelfth season on Netflix the only way bakers know how to do—with cake! Twelve home bakers participated in the first week of competition with mini rolls, malt loaves, and gravity-defyi…
Last Friday, The Great British Bake Off celebrated the start of its twelfth season on Netflix the only way bakers know how to do—with cake! Twelve home bakers participated in the first week of competition with mini rolls, malt loaves, and gravity-defying cakes. Wait...what’s a malt loaf? If you’re asking that question, you’re not alone. Nearly every contestant on GBBO asked the same question. Ahead, we’re explaining what this British tea-time treat is and which bakers rose—and which sank—during the first episode of Season 12.
Think of a malt loaf as a richer, denser fruit cake. Prue Leith, a judge on The Great British Bake Off, makes her malt loaf with freshly brewed black tea, raisins, pitted prunes, malt extract, black treacle, and dark muscovado sugar (in addition to other pantry staples like flour, baking soda, baking powder, eggs, and butter). “This is a really old-fashioned recipe and those of you who are under 35 may never have heard of it. But don’t panic, just read the recipe,” said Leith to the contestants. A wise lesson to all home bakers who enter unfamiliar territory in the kitchen.
These chewy, oaty snack bars are an English classic! With a buttery, caramel like flavour from the golden syrup they’re also incredibly versatile as you can use whatever mix-ins you desire. Here we’ve gone for a fruit, nut & seed flapjack but I’m also partial to a chocolate chip flapjack for a more dessert-y vibe. What are flapjacks? If you’re not from England, you might not have eaten a flapjack before. These are oat-based baked squares, usually made with melted butter, sugar and golden syrup. They ‘re delicious and simple like that but you can also add in so many other ingredients like nuts, seeds, dried fruit or chocolate chips. I think they’re pretty similar to a granola bar but I’d say the main difference is that flapjacks have the key ingredient of golden syrup, which gives them their characteristic flavour & chew. The name flapjack seems to have originated from the word ‘flap’ referring to a griddle cake/pancake because of the flipping motion used in cooking them. The ‘jack’ part is though to just be something that was added on to many English words (e.g. jackpot), or could refer to something small. (Reference). American flapjacks are pancakes, not oaty […]
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These chewy, oaty snack bars are an English classic! With a buttery, caramel like flavour from the golden syrup they’re also incredibly versatile as you can use whatever mix-ins you desire. Here we’ve gone for a fruit, nut & seed flapjack but I’m also partial to a chocolate chip flapjack for a more dessert-y vibe.
If you’re not from England, you might not have eaten a flapjack before. These are oat-based baked squares, usually made with melted butter, sugar and golden syrup. They ‘re delicious and simple like that but you can also add in so many other ingredients like nuts, seeds, dried fruit or chocolate chips. I think they’re pretty similar to a granola bar but I’d say the main difference is that flapjacks have the key ingredient of golden syrup, which gives them their characteristic flavour & chew.
The name flapjack seems to have originated from the word ‘flap’ referring to a griddle cake/pancake because of the flipping motion used in cooking them. The ‘jack’ part is though to just be something that was added on to many English words (e.g. jackpot), or could refer to something small. (Reference).
American flapjacks are pancakes, not oaty squares. Their name comes from the same root but after many years, ended up referring to a different food.
Flapjacks keep extremely well at room temperature – in an airtight container they should last for up to 2 weeks. There’s not really any need to keep them in the fridge, unless you prefer to eat them cold!
If you want to keep them for longer you can freeze them post-bake. Just pop them into a resealable sandwich bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Just let them defrost at room temp before eating.
As always, baking times are only a suggestion due to differences in ovens/ingredients/weather/baking tins etc so the best way to tell if flapjacks are cooked are by visual cues. They edges of the flapjacks should be golden brown and the mixture should be bubbling. You may notice that they’re super soft straight from the oven, even when they’ve had enough time in the oven – this is because the sugar & syrup are still hot. Once the flapjacks cool down properly they’ll set and firm up. This is why it’s also a good idea to let the flapjacks cool before slicing so you can get nice clean cuts.
Oats – there are 2 main types of oat for baking with, jumbo oats (a.k.a. old fashioned oats) which are chunkier flakes, and rolled oats (a.k.a. porridge oats) which are finer, smaller flakes. You can use either type or a combo here! Using jumbo oats will give you a chewier texture whereas the rolled oats create a more cohesive mix, leading to a softer more cookie-like texture. I sometimes like to do a combo of the 2, to get the best of both worlds.
Vegan block butter – I simply swapped the unsalted butter from my Aunt’s flapjack recipe for a vegan block butter. I’ve tested Naturli & Stork in this recipe and they both work well. Just avoid tub margarines as they can make the finished flapjack have a greasier texture.
Sugar – You might see different types of sugar used in all different recipes. This recipe is very forgiving so you can use a mixture of different sugars (or just one type) and it’ll still work great. I like to use a mixture of granulated sugar and light brown sugar but you can use caster sugar, dark brown sugar or even coconut sugar.
Golden syrup – I think this is essential for the specific flavour that flapjacks have. As it’s such a thick syrup it also helps to bind the oats together properly and gives the bars a chewy texture. If you have to make them without golden syrup, you’ll need to use a syrup which is quite thick instead (so maple syrup as a direct sub won’t work here) – something like brown rice syrup or corn syrup will work but won’t give the same flavour. If you consume runny honey (which technically isn’t vegan) you can use it here too – the flavour of the honey will come through in the final bake.
Flour – I use plain white flour for my flapjacks the majority of the time. These also work with wholemeal pastry flour or even rye flour. Because of the inclusion of flour, flapjacks aren’t usually gluten-free, however you can use a gluten-free flour blend (e.g. Doves farm) in this recipe. Just make sure your oats are GF too!
Dried fruit, Nuts, Seeds or Chocolate Chips – Add whichever mix-ins you fancy here. I like to stir most of them into the flapjack mixture and then reserve some to sprinkle on top. The exception here is chocolate chips which I prefer to *not* mix in and I *only* sprinkle on top – this is because if you try to stir them into the hot flapjack mixture, they’ll start to melt.
The process is very simple, it’s basically a melt & mix job:
Easy, chewy vegan flapjacks made with oats, margarine, golden syrup and light brown sugar. You can add any mix-ins you want such as chocolate chips or dried fruits & nuts. Perfect as a snack or mid-morning treat.
*Type of Sugar: I like to use a mixture of 1/3 light brown sugar and 2/3 granulated sugar. You can also use dark brown sugar, coconut sugar, caster sugar. You can use one type or a mixture!
*Type of Oats: You can use either old fashioned (aka jumbo) oats here or porridge oats/rolled oats. The kind you use will alter the texture slightly - jumbo oats are thicker so will give you a chewier flapjack with more of a caramel-like texture. Rolled oats are finer so mix into the sugar more completely & will give you a more cohesive, softer texture. You can use one type or a mixture of the two!
Golden syrup: I think golden syrup is key to the flavour and chewy texture of the best flapjacks. However, I know it can be hard to come by in which case substituting honey will work fine (depending on whether you consume it or not, as a vegan). You can also use corn syrup or brown rice syrup, they just won't have the same flavour.
Have you made this recipe?
I’d love to see how it went! Tag me on instagram @izyhossack and hashtag it #topwithcinnamon so I can see your beautiful creation & reshare in my stories!
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Over the last several years, people suggested that I write a book of fruit desserts. I point out, helpfully, that I already have, but every year a few books of fruit desserts come out, mostly relating to pies or crisps and cobblers. So it was interesting to see one devoted solely to cakes, called (appropriately) Fruit Cake: Recipes for the Curious Baker. But no need…
Over the last several years, people suggested that I write a book of fruit desserts. I point out, helpfully, that I already have, but every year a few books of fruit desserts come out, mostly relating to pies or crisps and cobblers. So it was interesting to see one devoted solely to cakes, called (appropriately) Fruit Cake: Recipes for the Curious Baker.
But no need to worry that it’s a book of Christmas cakes with sticky green cherries in them. It’s by Jason Schreiber, a food stylist and recipe developer, who dreamed up with seventy-five cakes that feature fruit, everything from Key Lime Meringue Cake to a tropical fruit Panettone. There are also Pineapple Breakfast Cakes, his riff on the classic Sachertorte with chocolate and apricots, and a Jamaican Black Cake, that caught my eye for a number of reasons.
Continue Reading Black Fruitcake...
Don’t let that sourdough discard go to waste: make a batch of these delicious almond sourdough muffins! Made with leftover sourdough starter that would otherwise be discarded, these moist and tender muffins are flavored with almond and studded with dried blueberries and sliced almonds. Hooray, more sourdough discard recipes! Y’all are loving my crackers and […]
Don’t let that sourdough discard go to waste: make a batch of these delicious almond sourdough muffins!
Made with leftover sourdough starter that would otherwise be discarded, these moist and tender muffins are flavored with almond and studded with dried blueberries and sliced almonds.
Hooray, more sourdough discard recipes! Y’all are loving my crackers and biscuits so much I figured I’d see what else I could make with sourdough discard. These muffins are the result (next up: waffles perhaps?)
It makes me so happy to see so many people dipping their toes into the world of homemade sourdough. It’s something I’ve been doing for the past 3 years and it brings me endless satisfaction (sure, some frustration too, but that frustration is surely eased when you bite into a fresh slice of homemade sourdough slathered in good salted butter; I mean, it’s one of my greatest joys in life).
When maintaining a sourdough starter (and especially when you are first developing it), there is a good amount of that starter that is discarded during the process. If you didn’t discard, your starter would just keep growing and growing like something out of a horror flick.
Once you have a thriving starter, you can technically maintain it with a very small amount of flour (as little as 25-50 grams), and unless you plan to bake every day or two, store it in the fridge between bakes rather than feeding it every day (feed it once or twice before you plan to start baking to wake it back up again, especially if it’s been dormant for longer than 2 weeks).
But even reducing the quantity of flour and frequency of feedings, there will still be discard. It’s unavoidable.
But that doesn’t mean it has to go to waste.
That’s where sourdough discard recipes come in – those spoonfuls of starter that would otherwise be thrown away can be incorporated into almost any recipe that already uses flour and liquid, from crackers and biscuits to pizza dough and pancakes. And, of course, muffins.
Have you ever gone away for a few weeks and found out that you’d left the freezer door ajar? Well, I did. And let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty. Before traveling, since I’m anti-gaspillage (against food waste), I jammed whatever I could into my already-stuffed freezer, including a half-eaten tomato tart, which I thought would be nice to have ready-and-waiting upon my arrival home,…
Have you ever gone away for a few weeks and found out that you’d left the freezer door ajar? Well, I did. And let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty.
Before traveling, since I’m anti-gaspillage (against food waste), I jammed whatever I could into my already-stuffed freezer, including a half-eaten tomato tart, which I thought would be nice to have ready-and-waiting upon my arrival home, partially-used blocks of butter, and the miscellaneous leftover ends of bread that one collects when one constantly buys too much bread. When I returned, I realized that one of those bread pieces had been caught in the door and kept it from sealing closed.
Continue Reading Cranberry Chutney...
