Orange & Chocolate Flapjacks(Video Recipe)

I have always loved this season when the heavy morning fog and the dip in the temperature make me look forward to lots of Christmas baking. Winter is still nowhere in sight this year, that's a disappointment! Buying fresh oranges at the local market, making candied orange peel, trying out new recipes, while also wanting to make those old favorites again. The deluge of tempting food pictures on social media, the rush to post recipes on time, all very familiar. Only, in the past 2 years, since I started my YouTube Channel, there is also the added anxiety and urgency to shoot Christmas videos on time. 

If you are not a YouTuber yourself, let me tell you making videos is a lot of work, especially if you need to shoot 6-8 in a day. I am now trying to put together my own set of equipment, so I can eventually learn to shoot my own videos. Exciting, scary and liberating at the same time! Moving in that direction, my editor shot this recipe for Chocolate And Orange Flapjacks. Friendly stuff for an experimental shoot. Turned out pretty decent, so there is hope! Have you subscribed yet?

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Think of flapjacks as luxurious versions of the humble granola bars. These are  basically tray bakes with oats, butter and golden syrup as the main ingredients. You can, of course, play around and toss in some dried fruit and nuts for flavor variations. So easy, even kids can make it. Delish enough without a zillion kinds of dried fruit, nuts, coconut and the kind, making it great for fussy eaters. Quick snack box treat, a good last minute gift. Reason enough for you to give these a try? 

An ingredient that deserves special here is golden syrup. It gives a very nice flavor to the bars, Lyle's is a highly recommended brand. You can find this online, check at speciality stores like Godrej Nature's Basket,FoodHall and the kind. I have seen recipes which use honey, maple syrup etc, but I haven't tried it. Do let me know if you do. 

Here is the super simple recipe based on the recipe on the Lyle's website.

Ingredients

Soft unsalted butter - 84 grams

Golden syrup - 1/4 cup(60ml) plus 1-2 tablespoons, read note

Zest of one really fresh orange

Pinch of salt

Quick Cooking Oats - 150 grams

Dark chocolate - 50 grams, chopped. 

Optional add-ins, cinnamon, cardamom, walnuts, dates, figs. 

Method

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8'' square tin lined with baking parchment leaving an overhang.

Melt the butter and golden syrup in a heavy saucepan, keep stirring. 

Grate the zest of the orange directly into it. 

Stir in the salt and oats. 

Press the mixture into the lined pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a nice golden brown on top. 

Remove and cut into squares using a bench scraper.

Scatter the chocolate on top, return to the oven for a minute.

Remove and cool completely before breaking into squares. The bars will crisp up as they cool.

Store airtight. 

Please note: You can use a tablespoon more or less syrup according to your preference. More syrup makes them sweeter and chewy, less makes them crisp.
Golden syrup comes in a green tin, not to be confused with golden syrup topping in a squeeze bottle.

You can top the mixture with some walnuts, use warm spices like cinnamon and cloves with orange zest.

Dates and figs, cashew nuts sounds good to me!