Muesli Flapjacks: what to do with yourself

Lately I have been in a weird “I just don’t know what to do with myself" mood. Today I have a sort of day off and I start having stressing or feeling anxious of what I “should” be doing with my time. I should be doing the laundry and food shopping and going to the bank and doing all these things that need to be done. Because that’s my roll as a mature adult (whatever that means.) On top of that I have three or four posts that are waiting to be written. I also have a cupboard filled of baking supplies that are calling out to be used. Along with the stack of books sitting next to my bed waiting to be read. 

It’s the stress of these various things I should be doing vs things I want to do vs things I never seem to have time for that make me just want to lie down and take a nap. So, basically nothing gets done and I feel rushed and claim I have no time for anything. When actually I am just terrible at time management and my “I just don’t know what to do with myself" mood stems from having too much choice of stuff to do.

The practical part of me says I should be doing all the responsible things and the other part me of is writing this blog post. I also did get a shopping list written… it’s now just going to the store. Perhaps I can keep procrastinating by doing something I want like baking or reading a book. 

Every once in a while it’s okay not to do anything. It's just that I feel like someone somewhere is judging me for being lazy and not spending my time wisely. As someone who promotes not caring what others think, it’s a mystery to why fictional people who can’t see me matter. 

So, if you find yourself with “free time” and need to fill it with something so you don't get judged by "them" or "they" - these flapjacks are super easy and delicious. They make you feel like you at least accomplished something during the day. Everyone needs to eat! 

Muesli Flapjacks 

175g unsalted butter

1 tablespoon golden syrup

150g demerara sugar

300g muesli 

pinch of salt

Heat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Line a 8x8 square pan with grease proof paper
Melt the butter in a sauce pan with the golden syrup and sugar on a low heat, stirring continuously until combined but the sugar is still a little grainy. 

Remove from the heat and stir in the muesli and salt. Dump into the prepared pan and smooth it down with a spatula as evenly as possible. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes if after a chewy flapjack. Give it 5 or more minutes if after a crunchy flapjack. 

Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares. 

I love a good muesli and even more so baked with sugar and golden syrup. Dorset Cereals make a small trial box of their simple range that sells for £1. It’s just enough to make these at 350g a box and have a bowl of cereal. However, any muesli would work! 

notes: recipe comes via The River Cottage Cakes Handbook or on their website; Dorset Cereals have not endorsed this post, it was just I found that for £1 it was a good deal that I would share with you. 

Treacle Tart & The Parasol Protectorate/Soulless

Over on A Flurry Of Ponderings my friend Missie is hosting a week-long event of Bookies into Foodies; which is a week of book bloggers making food things from their favorite books! I am guest posting over on her blog later this week, but I thought I would join in here on United Cakedom. Plus it fits right in with my Story Book Bakes posts. So, today I am sharing a British classic the Treacle Tart.

It’s not very often I re-read books, with so many different ones to read why go back to something you already know how it ends? However there are several books that have cracked spines and smudged pages due to the amount of times I have read them. Soulless, the first in The Parasol Protectorate series is one of those. As the first of the series it is the most loved. It’s what drew me in and made me want more.

Alexia Tarabotti, the leading lady, resides in England during the Victorian times. However, it’s not exactly like we remember it. Werewolves and Vampires are acknowledged as law-abiding members of society. They hold down respectable jobs in the military and police force as well as host the best balls and start fashion trends.

It is also acceptable to want to become one of the super natural. All you have to do is pay your dues by either being a claviger to the werewolves or a drone to the vampires. Then hope that you have excess soul to survive the transformation. Even if Alexia wanted to go down that route, she couldn't. See she was born with out a soul and that is where the fun begins!

In the first chapter of Soulless, on the second page Alexia sneaks away from a boring ball to take tea and it includes a plate of treacle tart. Only a rude vampire that doesn't know the first thing about proper etiquette squashes it.

It’s the first, but not the last time that this sticky classic treat is mentioned throughout the series’. The whole series offers a lot of fun and shenanigans, mystery and mayhem, and a lot of tea breaks.

Before you sit down to read the series (if you haven’t already) make this treacle tart, a cup of tea, and get stuck in!

Treacle Tart

8oz (226g) flour

4oz (113g) butter

1-3 tablespoons milk

4oz (113g) breadcrumbs

16oz (452g or 1 can) golden syrup

4 teaspoons lemon or Satsuma juice

Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6 and grease a 8 or 9 inch tart tin with butter and lightly dust with flour. Combine the flour and butter by rubbing together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add a tablespoon of milk at a time until you can bring the dough together in a ball. Leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough and line the tart tin, using a fork prick holes in the bottom of the pastry. Mix the breadcrumbs, golden syrup, and juice together (I only had a satsuma in my fridge so used that!) and pour into the pastry lined tart tin. Bake in the heated oven for 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy with or without clotted cream.

notes: Check out A Flurry of Ponderings for a week of Bookies to Foodies fun! Thank you Jen for sending me your noted and tried recipe for Treacle Tart! 

Books by Gail Carriger: (I have read all of these)

The Parasol Protectorate -

Soulless

Changeless

Blameless

Heartless

Timeless

The Custard Protocol -

Prudence

Imprudence (not yet published)

Finishing School -

Etiquette & Espionage

Curtsies & Conspiracies

Waistcoats & Weaponary

Manners & Mutiny (published November 2015)

Wonka’s Nutty Crunch Surprise {belated World Book Day treat}

These were made originally for World Book Day, but I didn't make them in time for the big day.

That big day was March 6^th, but I think it’s important to encourage children to read any and every day of the year!

Growing up I was always in a low reading group. We were never told, but we weren't clueless, we knew all knew where we stood. 

As an adult I think it's weird that I was in a low reading group. I just remember reading all the time. Always before bed, I'd curl up with a book and I still do!!

I can only speculate, but I hated reading out loud. It really wasn't my thing. I hated the attention, everyone listening and if I made a mistake or stumbled on a word I didn't want to be singled out. 

It's funny how things change or stay the same over time, I am not so worried about things like reading out loud, but  my love of books has not changed!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one of the first chapter books I remember reading. I took it out of the school library - if I remember correctly there was also a waiting list for it.

I used to pretend that I was Charlie. The Charlie who was already running the factory, I mean who wouldn't want a chocolate factory??

I know I do! And while making these bars, I sorta felt like I did!

Wonka’s Nutty Crunch Surprise

200g milk chocolate, broken up

50g butter

75ml golden syrup

165g digestive biscuits, finely crushed

75g flaked almonds

25g rice cereal

Line and grease an 8 in square cake tin. Melt the chocolate with the butter and golden syrup in a heatproof bowl over a simmering pan of water. Stir until completely melted. Gently fold in the biscuits, almonds, and cereal to the melted chocolate. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and press down with a spatula until smooth. Then cool in the fridge before cutting into bars.

Nutty Crunch:  

50g flaked almonds, finely chopped

100g granulated sugar

2 tbsp water

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan, Leave on low until the sugar has dissolved. According to the recipe you want increase the heat and wait for it to caramelize.

However, I had my burner on the lowest heat and twice the sugar mixture seized up and crystallized before it turned a caramel color. I used a pastry brush to keep crystals forming on the sides of the pan, but it didn’t seem to make a difference.

The third time I just included the chopped almonds to basically make sugar coated almonds and worked with it. Set them aside to cool.

Chocolate Coating

200g milk chocolate

to finish: Melt it using the method above.

Lay the cut bars on a sheet of grease proof paper, using a table spoon gently spoon the melted chocolate over the bar then sprinkle the sugared almonds on top. Repeat until all bars are chocolaty and nutty!

They were super good, because just like rocky road when you mix sweet and salty things you can never fail! These would be great for a picnic or just an after school treat! 

notes: The recipe was adapted from Roald Dahl’s Completely Revolting Recipes and other tasty treats! Next month I’ll be taking part in World Book Night (April 23^rd) again, which is encouraging young adults and adults who don’t read a lot. I cannot wait to collect my books and give them out!!

Cadbury Dairy Milk Flapjacks!! {best loved recipes series}

Does anyone subscribe to 30 best loved recipes?? It seems like there is always a baking collection to be collected. They always lure you in by having the first issue priced at 99p. Which to be fair is a bargain. I didn't end up subscribing and even though my local supermarket giant seems to be getting them in weekly I haven’t picked any more up past the first 99p issue. Which included Cadbury Dairy Milk and Lyle’s Golden Syrup.

My first thoughts when browsing through the books was that they didn't really offer anything new. But that’s coming from a food blogger who owns over 30 baking books and around 20 cookbooks. It’s a bit out of control really. After a second look through there are actually some different ideas of using the product that it’s so simple I wouldn't have thought of it. Sometimes simple ideas are the best tasting. I was more inspired by the Lyle's Golden Syrup as it has sweet and savory recipes.

However what I do find annoying about the series it’s self is that online they don’t tell you what’s been out and what might be coming out next. I've seen a McVities Digestive, French’s Yellow Mustard, Bonne Maman, Sunmaid Raisins, Cathedral Cheese, Marmite (I may be making this one up, but if it hasn't been out I’m sure there will be).

I choose to try out the Cadbury Dairy Milk Flapjacks. They turned out okay. I didn't have the right sized pan and I think I baked them too long as the edges had to be completely disposed off. The middles were perfectly chewy and yummy though! Enjoy!

Cadbury Dairy Milk Flapjacks:

200g Cadbury Dairy Milk broken into pieces

100g butter

100g demerara sugar

1 tbsp golden syrup

150g rolled oats

50g dried apricots, chopped

50g sultanas

Pre-heat oven to 160C/325F/gasmark3. Line a 20cm square tin with greaseproof paper. Melt butter, sugar, and syrup slowly in a saucepan. Once melted stir in the oats and both dried fruits. Pour into prepared tin and pat down flat with a spatula or something. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once cooled spread chocolate on top of bite sized flapjacks. I just dipped mine it was a bit messy, but hey it tasted good. I chilled mine in the fridge for a few.

notes: best loved recipes site; Oh and if anyone has subscribed to the series I would love to know what your favorite book is so far. I might order a few back issues!! 

Gingernuts with Custard Cream filling!!

Fox’s Biscuits make a biscuit called Ginger Crunch Creams. I love these things. If I ever leave England these would be in my top 5 of most missed treats. So, I had been thinking about making my own for a while. I mean it’s just a crunchy ginger cookie with cream smooshed in the middle. (Word is trying to correct smooshed hahaha!!)

Baking is a huge trend at the moment so I wasn’t surprised to see that Jamie Oliver jumped on the bandwagon with an issue of his magazine dedicated to baking (Issue 27 Mar/Apr 2012). I am glad he jumped because this issue has a lot of interesting recipes.

There is a whole section for homemade biscuits based off of shop-bought favorites. I took the recipe for the ginger nuts and then halved the recipe of the cream filling from the custard cream recipe! Then like magic I had my favorite shop-bought biscuit, but even better!! These turned out exactly how I wanted them too!! Enjoy!!

Notice how I switch between calling these biscuits and cookies. Ha! My 4 year old already corrects my American words. It’s a little annoying to be honest. Humph. ;0]

makes 16 (8 if you are sandwiching them together)

100g self-rising flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground ginger

a few gratings of nutmeg

¼ tsp allspice

50g light muscovado sugar

50g butter, cubed, softened

2 tbsp golden syrup

Demerara sugar, for sprinkling

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and line a baking sheet.
2. Put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and then rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in the syrup, and press into a dough
4. Divide into 16 pieces (I weighed mine out because every time I try to break into equal pieces I fail.) they should weigh about 15g each give or a take a little.
5. Roll each piece into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet. Use a bottom of a glass to flatten them.
6. Sprinkle some of the demerara sugar onto each one; I didn’t have this so I just used regular granulated sugar. The demerara sugar is bigger granules and would work better the regular sugar just sort of blended into the biscuit. Press the sugar into the cookie with your fingers.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove the biscuits and let them cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

for the custard cream:

100g icing sugar

2 tbsp custard powder

50g unsalted butter, softened

boiling water

1. Mix the icing sugar and custard powder together in a big bowl.
2. Then beat in the butter, this is why I suggest a big bowl. I used my medium sized bowl and the sugar/powder mix went everywhere the second I turned on my hand mixer. If I had the bigger bowl it has bigger sides and wouldn’t have puffed up into my face!!
3. Add 1 tsp of boiling water and mix until smooth.
4. Cover and set-aside until ready to use.

To finish: Spread each side of the cookie with the custard cream and smoosh them together!!

note: there are no eggs in this recipe