Fruit and nut flapjacks

I adore flapjack...I remember my mother making it throughout my childhood and it was always one of my favourite cakey treats. I'm quite fussy, though, about how sticky it must be, i.e not so sticky so as to cause tooth/filling damage; and the ratio of syrup to oats has to be just right...I like my flapjacks to be very oaty and therefore quite solid. So this is my tried and trusted recipe and it's versatile enough to have any number of additional ingredients added to it...and for chocolate to be drizzled over the top! These flapjacks were a hit with everybody, the children took them to school and Simon and I enjoyed ours with lots of fresh coffee.


Ingredients:

340g oats
250g unsalted butter
100g soft light brown sugar
3 tbsps golden syrup
large handful of chopped dates (use any dried fruit you like)
a couple of handfuls of chopped pecan nuts
a large handful of chopped pistachios
a handful of pine nuts
a couple of handfuls of pumpkin seeds


22x30cm baking tray greased and lined with baking parchment


1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan.

2. Stir in the oats and sugar, then add the golden syrup and mix until everything is combined.

3. Tip and press into the prepared baking tray, sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the top and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden.

4. Leave to cool completely in the tin and then drizzle with melted dark chocolate.

5. Once the chocolate has set, remove from the baking tray and cut into squares. Enjoy!