Chewy apple and sultana flapjacks: dairy free

I love flapjacks, but they have to be chewy, crispy ones are just wrong. They were one of the first things I baked with my Mum, I remember kneeling on a chair in our kitchen at the table and watching her weigh out the oats as we made them together. Because of that memory and pang of nostalgia I made these with Harry's help today. He stirred, stole the sultanas, and put spoonfuls of oats (almost) in the mixing bowl. A resounding success for his first attempt at baking I'd say.

This recipe is based on the one I used way back in the mists of time. Mum wrote it out for me while I was at University. I promptly made them, fell asleep and burnt them. I've since made them twice as the first time they came out crispy - please see above. Wrong. And the second time, with some adjustments and changes to the recipe and cooking times/ temperature they were perfect.

It's worth noting that oats are well regarded as lactogenic, so if you're a breastfeeding mama flapjacks are a legitimate health food. True story.

Apple and sultana flapjacks
Serves 12

8oz porridge oats
3oz caster sugar
4oz golden syrup
4oz Pure (or any other dairy free spread)
3 grown up handfuls of sultanas (or equivalent baby ones)
Half an eating apple grated

Preheat the oven to 130 degrees C
Mix the porridge oats, caster sugar and sultanas together in a mixing bowl
Add the grated apple and stir again so it's mixed through (if you're Harry, now is a good time to do a taste test!)
Melt the dairy free spread and golden syrup in a saucepan and pour over the dry ingredients
Stir to make sure it's all mixed in
Grease a 7.5 (or so) inch brownie pan - I used a pyrex dish and pop the mixture in
Level out the top as best as you can, there's absolutely no need for these to be perfect. I try to push the sultanas down into the flapjacks as I dislike burnt, bitter sultanas but that's personal taste.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes
Leave to cool for 20 minutes, then slice into 12 bars

Leave to finish cooling, then enjoy with a coffee. Try to hide eating them from any babies you're around.

Lots of other lovely bloggers have flapjack recipes you might like, here are some of my favourites - remember you can always substitute butter for a dairy free spread. Pure and Vitalite are our favourites:

• Foodie Quine - a great way to use up any jars of marmalade you have languishing in the cupboard (just me then?) Marmalade flapjacks
• Tin and Thyme - some lovely looking raspberry and white chocolate flapjacks.
• Nosebagni - a recipe stuffed full of superfood like goji berries and sunflower seeds British flapjacks with mixed seeds and Goji berries
• Baking Queen 74 - some Pumpkin seed and Mango oat bars that astonishingly are made in the slow cooker! These use coconut oil so are already dairy free (Hurrah!)
• Planet Veggie - Quick and easy vegan flapjacks The name says it all. Although I'm slightly in awe of her unmarked brownie pan
• Celery and cupcakes - Salted Almond Butter flapjacks that I am lusting after already (at 9am on a Thursday morning. This does not bode well for next week's weigh in). Those of us who are soya and dairy free could chop up some Moo bars or Green and Blacks for the dark chocolate chips
• Veggie Desserts - Carrot, parsnip and coconut flapjacks What a great way to sneak some extra veggies into your family. Yes, M I'm thinking of you
• Tinned tomatoes - some lovely Fresh blueberry flapjacks that are vegan, and lower in sugar than mine so ideal for little ones. Harry loves blueberries so these are a definite try for us.

Next on my list are Raspberry and coconut flapjacks, inspired by a lovely lady on a Breastfeeding group I belong to who's little one is going through the same leap as Harry.