Sweet Peanut Butter Flapjacks

Step 1: Preheat and Prepare the Tin

1. Preheat the Oven:

   • Turn your oven dial to 180°C (or 160°C for fan ovens) or gas mark 4.
   • This ensures the oven is hot and ready when you need it.

2. Prepare the Baking Tin:

   • Take a 20cm square baking tin.
   • Use a piece of butter to grease the bottom and sides of the tin. This helps prevent sticking.
   • Cut a piece of baking parchment to fit the bottom of the tin. Place it inside, letting some parchment hang over the edges. This will make it easier to lift out the flapjacks later.

Step 2: Melt the Butter and Combine Ingredients

1. Melt the Butter:

   • In a medium saucepan, add 125g of unsalted butter.
   • Heat the saucepan on low heat. Stir the butter occasionally with a spatula until it is completely melted.

2. Add Maple Syrup:

   • Once the butter has melted, pour in 125g of maple syrup.
   • Stir the mixture gently until the maple syrup is fully blended with the melted butter.

3. Cool the Mixture:

   • Remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside to cool for about 5 minutes. This is important so you don’t cook the peanut butter in the next step.

4. Stir in Peanut Butter:

   • After the mixture has cooled slightly, add 125g of crunchy peanut butter to the saucepan.
   • Use a spatula to mix everything together until the peanut butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Step 3: Combine Oats and Sugar

1. Mix Dry Ingredients:

   • In a large mixing bowl, combine 150g of golden caster sugar and 350g of porridge oats.
   • Use a spoon or whisk to mix them together evenly. This helps to ensure the sugar is spread throughout the oats.

2. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:

   • Make a small well or dip in the center of the oat mixture using the back of your spoon.
   • Pour the peanut butter and butter mixture into this well.
   • Mix everything together with a spoon until the oats are well coated and the mixture looks uniform.

Step 4: Bake the Flapjacks

1. Transfer to the Tin:

   • Carefully pour the mixture into your prepared baking tin.
   • Use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Press down gently with your fingers or the back of the spatula to flatten the top.

2. Bake:

   • Place the tin in the preheated oven.
   • Bake for 25-30 minutes. Keep an eye on them toward the end; they should be golden brown on top.

3. Cool and Cut:

   • Once they are done, carefully take the tin out of the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
   • Use the parchment to lift the flapjacks out of the tin and place them on a cooling rack.
   • Allow them to cool completely (this usually takes about 30 minutes) before cutting into 12 squares or rectangles.