Sesame and Maple Syrup Flapjacks: traybake heaven

Most kids love a spot of cooking so when I asked my son shall we get stuck in and do some flapjacks, he jumped at the chance! This time we thought we'd try a specifically children's cook book: Children's book of baking (2007) by Sara Lewis  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Childrens-Book-Baking-Sara-Lewis/dp/0753715503/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352731252&sr=8-2  The book is a lovely collection of recipes divided in to sections such as little cakes, cookies, cut-and-come-again cakes and traybakes. Every recipe is beautifully documented with instructional photographs and has a list of the required equipment making it an ideal book to give to a ten or eleven year old to follow independently, but equally it is suitable to use with your younger ones. Over the last couple of years we have made a few of the recipes and all can be said to be reliable and enjoyable to make. For example, the chunky chocolate and oat cookies on page 56 are rather moreish as are the chocolate kisses on page 54. If you don't do a lot of baking and sometimes lack confidence,  this book is also good on advice and tips, from outlining cook's terms to detailing cake-making techniques; you don't have to have children to appreciate this book!

A perfect afternoon pick-me-up!

Sesame and maple syrup flapjacks (copyright: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd 2006)

Makes 9
200g butter
200g soft light brown sugar
5 tbsp maple syrup or golden syrup
50g sesame seeds, plus 1 extra tbsp for sprinkling
250g oats
20cm square tin

Measuring out the ingredients

Melting the butter, sugar and syrup

Melted mixture

Pressing the mixture into the tin

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Cut a square of baking parchment and line the tin.
2. Put the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring from time to time using a wooden spoon until completely melted.
3. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the sesame seeds and oats. Spoon the mixture into the tin and press flat with the back of a metal spoon. Sprinkle with the extra 1 tbsp of sesame seeds.
4. Bake the flapjack for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and just beginning to darken around the edges of the tin. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Mark the flapjack into squares (9 in total) and leave to harden and cool completely



Divided into 9 squares.

5. Lift the paper and flapjack out of the tin and cut into 9 pieces. They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days (if they last that long!)

Two pieces in one day - how extravagant is that?!

Next time: A quick after-work supper and chocolate mousse for everyone!