Banana and Raisin Flapjacks

Fruit flapjacks are an easy, fun food to bake. There are lots of different combinations to suit all tastes.

Ingredients

90g unsaturated fat spread, plus extra for greasing
2 x 15ml spoons honey
2 x medium ripe bananas
60g raisins OR other dried fruit
240g oats
¾ x 5ml spoon ground cinnamon

Equipment

12-hole muffin tin
Weighing scales
Small saucepan OR microwave-safe bowl
Measuring spoons
Wooden spoon
Mixing bowl x 2
Fork
Dessert spoon
Oven gloves
Pan stand
Table knife
Cooling rack

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan or gas mark 4 and lightly grease the holes of the muffin tin.
2. Place the spread and honey into a small saucepan or a microwave-safe bowl ready to melt it.
3. If using the stove, heat the saucepan of spread and honey gently at a low temperature until melted. Stir with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. If using a microwave, heat for 30 seconds or until just melted (timing based on an 800W microwave).
4. Peel the bananas and mash in a mixing bowl with a fork.
5. Add the raisins or dried fruit, oats and cinnamon to the mashed banana and mix gently.
6. Add the melted spread and honey to the fruit and oats and mix well.
7. Divide the mixture between the muffin tin holes and press down with the back of a spoon. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.
8. Remove the tin from the oven and leave the flapjacks to cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tin is cool enough to handle. Carefully remove the flapjacks from the muffin tin using a table knife and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Skills used include:
Weighing, measuring, mixing/combining, mashing, melting, baking, microwaving and cooling.

Top Tips

• Wait for your bananas to turn brown for this recipe, they’ll be sweeter and easier to mash.
• If you have brown bananas but no time to bake, freeze them whole in their skins. Allow them to defrost at room temperature when you’re ready to use them in a recipe.
• Pressing the mixture down well will help the flapjacks stay together and not crumble when cut.
• When the flapjacks come out of the oven they may look soft, but they will harden as they cool.

Something to try next time

• To bake in one tin, grease a 20cm square baking tin and press in the mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool for a
  few minutes, then mark into 12 squares with a table knife and transfer to a rack to cool.
• For Apricot and Banana Flapjacks, follow the method in the same way but add 60g of chopped dried apricots at step 5 instead of the raisins.
• For Apple and Cinnamon Flapjacks, use two large eating apples, peeled and grated, instead of the banana at step 4. Add 1 x 5ml spoon of ground cinnamon with the oats. Follow the rest of the method in the same way.
• For Cranberry and Banana Flapjacks, follow the method in the same way but add 60g dried cranberries at step 5 instead of the raisins. Add some orange zest as well to make a Festive Flapjack that’s perfect for Christmas.

Prepare now, eat later

• Your flapjacks will keep in an airtight container for up to 72 hours. Or you can keep them in the freezer (in a zip-seal bag or airtight container) for up to 3 months. Allow them to defrost thoroughly at room temperature before serving.