The very first thing Trevor ever baked for me was a lemon meringue pie. I was traveling in France and England at the time and when I was back in the states, he baked it for me and left it (still warm!) outside my front door. We were just friends then but that was the beginning of when I knew it was going to be more. I like to say he won me over with his baking of that cake.
So, when he told me he was making me ‘flapjacks’ for Valentine’s day the following year, you probably thought the same thing I did which was ‘why is he making me pancakes for dessert’?
Well, I’m happy to say flapjacks aren’t pancakes in the UK. They actually don’t resemble pancakes in the slightest. They look more like granola bar treats, but with a slightly different texture and taste. They’re very sweet, crunchy and gooey all at the same time and man, do I love British Flapjacks. It was the perfect sweet ending to our Valentine’s Day that year. So for Valentine’s Day this year, we’re making them again. It makes me smile thinking back to when it all began so many years ago.
British Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
- 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- 1/4 cup GOLDEN syrup (this is a specialty syrup available in gourmet shops in the US. It’s the equivalent of honey married to maple syrup)
- 2 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or old-fashioned)
- Pinch of salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch metal baking pan. Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Add oats and salt; stir until coated. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread out in even layer.
- Bake until top is golden (edges will be darker), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut into 9 squares or 4 squares that you then cut each into 4 triangles (mixture will still be soft). Cool completely in pan before serving. Enjoy!
Season Generously 