Cherry and Coconut Flapjacks

I’ve made a couple of different flapjack recipes, but they are not at all common in the states. They are simply an oat-based bar, typically made on the stove and then cooked in the oven. Occasionally you find ones that aren’t baked, but I don’t like those as much. There are some differences between the British ingredients that the recipe specifies and what you can get in American shops, but you can substitute as needed. I keep a decent supply of British baking items on hand, which helps tremendously.

Flapjacks are quick and easy. They are naturally gluten free and by using vegan butter they are also dairy free. Thankfully I had just received a shipment of glacé cherries from the UK, but you can find candied cherries in the states. If you don’t have desiccated coconut, which is more finely ground, you can always use the shredded coconut you can find at the store. I suspect their oats, which are “porridge oats” are different than what I used, but they worked!

The biggest challenge for these flapjacks was this statement from the original recipe, “grease a suitable baking tin.” I had no idea what size of pan that means, but looking at the photo I guessed a 7” x 11” pan. Your flapjacks could be made in any pan, I suppose, but the thickness would vary as would the baking time. Mine were nice and golden after 25 minutes, and I scored/partially cut the bars while still warm. I will say that these bars are incredibly sticky, and I had problems getting them out of the pan. Still, if you don’t mind a little stickiness, these are quite tasty!

Cherry and Coconut Flapjacks
150 grams butter or vegan butter
150 grams brown sugar
90 ml golden syrup
300 grams oats
200 grams glace/candied cherries
40 grams desiccated coconut

Heat the oven to 320 degrees. Spray a 7” x 11” baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and golden syrup and stir, until the mixture comes together. Add the oats, cherries, and coconut and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Remove from the heat and spread evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the bars are golden. Allow the bars to cool for 10 minutes before scoring into bars. Cool completely and then remove the bars from the pan.

Recipe from What the Redhead Said