Lighter Fruit Flapjacks

I love flapjack - but it's something I rarely eat and can only ever remember having made once in the past.

It's a mix of oats with copious amounts of sugar, syrup and butter packed solid with calories and often quite greasy.

Well - this recipe isn't like that. It's got a fraction of the amount of sugar and fat that is in a normal flapjack recipe that I found on Netmums website - posted by someone called Jackie and is VERY adaptable. This recipe gets most of it's sweetness from dried fruit and it makes an idea breakfast or energy bar. Flavour can be totally transformed by your selection of fruit / nuts / seeds. I've added a tablespoon more syrup to bind it a little more as our eggs are often on the small side.

Recipe

150g chopped dried fruit of your choice

(try 1/2 dried fruit, 1/2 chocolate chips - or 2/3 dried fruit, 1/3 seeds, etc)

175g porridge oats

50g butter

4 tablespoons syrup

1 beaten egg

Put all dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt butter and syrup together in the microwave and combine with dry ingredients. Add beaten egg and mix in well.

Turn into a greased tin and level the surface (I've been using my 8" square silicone fudge tray or large silicone heart shaped baking pan)

In the version pictured above, I've used a small handful of mixed chocolate chips (white, milk, plain) some chopped dates and chopped pecan nuts. Oliver helped mix the ingredients together. This is a really simple recipe to make with kids.

Pop into a fan oven at approx 170deg for 15 > 20 mins until top is starting to turn a very pale brown.

Whilst warm, use a BLUNT table knife to cut or mark into sections. Allow to cool thoroughly before serving. I served ours straight from the tray. Seemingly keeps for a week - if yours lasts that long....

Sarah-Jane Nash - Siliconemoulds.com - silicone bakeware cake moulds  - September 2010