Honey & Chocolate Flapjacks

There comes a time after Christmas when you keep stumbling across the same packets and jars still lurking in your cupboards. Add to that Easter and its many boxes of chocolate and sweets and you know you have to start turning them into something edible rather than shelf rotters.

In a mini hamper at Christmas we were given a jar of local honey. As I have said before when I had a similar problem and I made a Ginger Preserve and Chocolate cake we're not a family who really eats this sort thing on a regular basis. I have only solution to this problem and that is to bake it in something! Along with the honey there seems to be half opened (or attacked) boxes of Easter eggs lying about. With the combination of the two you have the base for some flapjacks. Great for breakfast, an after-school snack or for the cycling commuter in your family; suddenly unloved food gifts become a a quick energy fix.

The recipes states 50g of chocolate – this is just a guide. Really you can put in as much as you think. Remember the chocolate will melt when baking so don't break it into too small a pieces. Also use what chocolate what you like or have to hand. The chocolate in the photograph is 50% plain chocolate.

Equipment: 8in (20cm) square loose-bottom baking tin

Ingredients

4½oz (125g) Margarine or butter

4½oz (125) Demerara sugar

3 tbsp (45ml) Clear honey

7oz (200g) Porridge oats

2oz (50g) Chocolate, roughly broken

Method

1. Line the base of the baking tin.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/Gas mark 5

3. In a large saucepan put the margarine/butter, sugar and honey.

4. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.

5. Take off the heat and add the oats and mix well, then stir in the chocolate until all the ingredients have combined.

6. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and press down.

7. Bake for 20 minutes.

8. Cut the flapjacks while still warm and then leave to cool and firm up.