Super-quick flapjacks

This is going to be the fastest recipe I'm likely to put on my blog - if you have a microwave, it can be made in just 6 minutes, including weighing out the ingredients! Admittedly, you do need to let it cool for at least an hour after that so that it slices well, but even so...

It's a recipe I first came up with when I was editing BBC Easy Cook magazine and we were doing  a a series on making more of your microwave. I came across it in my recipe file (yes, sometimes I am really well organised!) recently and thought it would be perfect as part of my contribution to yesterday's Village Halls Week event in our very own beloved village hall here. (And yep, Village Halls Week really is a thing!). The flapjacks went down very well but personally I thought they were a bit too sweet, having not tasted the recipe for years. This version uses half the amount of sugar and, I think, is all the better for it, with a nice balance of sweet and sharp with the dried fruit.

For the fruit, I used some of the leftover Waitrose Vine Fruit Mix from the Christmas pud I blogged about in December, but any plump, juicy raisins would be good, and semi-dried apricots are lovely in the recipe too.

Superquick flapjacks

85g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
40g soft dark brown sugar
150g porridge oats
125g dried fruit

Put the butter, syrup and sugar in a microwaveable bowl, cover and microwave on High (100%) for 1 minute. Stir to finish melting the butter and dissolve the sugar, then put the rest of the ingredients in  a large mixing bowl and pour the butter mixture over. Mix really well to combine thoroughly.

Spoon into a round, microwaveable shallow glass dish base-lined with baking parchment, press down all over with the back of the spoon and cook on High (100%) for two and half minutes until it just starts to bubble in the centre. (The exact timing will depend on the dish you're using - if it's very thick glass, it may take a little longer.)

Leave to cool in the dish for at least an hour, preferably longer, until cold, then slice and serve.

The flapjacks will keep in an airtight tin for about 5 days.

Makes 8

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