Blueberry and Orange Flapjack

Flapjack always tastes great, but doesn’t always look particularly special or inviting. Blueberries and Oranges not only add colour, they add so much to the texture and give the flavour an extra dimension too.

Need: A 20cm x 30cm (8” x 12”) baking tin

Makes: 18 medium sized slices

Level: Easy

Time: Just over an hour plus cooling time

Ingredients

  • 250g/9oz Butter*
  • 250g/9oz Soft light brown sugar or Golden caster sugar
  • 250g/9oz Golden syrup
  • 550g/20oz  – 600g/21oz Porridge oats
  • 5g salt
  • 200g/7oz – 250g/9oz fresh blueberries
  • 2 large oranges

* I usually use supermarket own brand softened butter mixtures such as Morrisons’ “Spreadable”.

Method

1. Butter and line the baking tray. Preheat the oven to 160C / Fan 140C / 325F / Gas 3.

2. In a large saucepan, melt together the butter, sugar and syrup. (Don’t allow the mixture to reach boiling point.)

3. Measure the oats, salt and blueberries into a large bowl and stir well to mix. Add the zest from the oranges and the juice from one orange. (N.B. Reserve some of the zest to use later.)

4. When the sugar has fully dissolved, pour the hot mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to mix thoroughly.

5. Spoon the combined mixture into the prepared tin and press it down firmly and evenly.

6. Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 – 50 minutes. (It doesn’t need to bake until solid, it will firm up as it cools.) When the flapjack comes out of the oven, sprinkle the reserved orange zest onto it.

7. While the flapjack is still warm, decide how many pieces you intend having and cut lines to half the depth using a serrated blade. When the block has cooled fully, cut all the way through and remove the flapjack pieces. (A metal dough scraper is ideal for this.)

Galleries





Before baking – press it all in really firmly.
Once baked, score the lines while it’s warm, but don’t cut right through yet.
A metal dough/bench scraper is an ideal tool for cutting through once the flapjack has fully cooled.
You should get 18 medium sized pieces.

Click this link for more tasty traybake recipes. Two of my special favourites that I’m sure you’ll love too are these: Coffee and Walnut Blondies and Strawberry Millionaires Shortbread.

Please have a look at my site for lots more great recipes. If you’d like to make a comment or ask a question please do, via the contact page.

A later addition

I wanted to give a few larger flapjacks to a group of youngsters who I was taking on a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award training walk, so I used a 20cm tin and cut 9 big pieces out for them.

Blueberry and Orange Flapjack – 20cm version

Need: A 20cm /8” square baking tin

Makes: 12 medium sized slices

Level: Easy

Time: Just over an hour plus cooling time

Ingredients

  • 175g Butter
  • 200g Soft light brown sugar or Golden caster sugar
  • 150g Golden syrup
  • 425g  Porridge oats
  • 3g salt
  • 125g fresh blueberries
  • 1 large orange

Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 – 45 minutes.