Chewy Flapjack

Makes 16 slices

300g butter

4 tablespoons golden syrup

340g golden caster sugar, or 170g golden caster sugar and 170g rapadura sugar

200ml condensed milk

500g porridge oats

Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas mark 3 and line a 33cm x 23cm roasting tin with baking parchment.

In a large, heavy-based pan melt together the butter, syrup and sugar over a low heat. When they have all mingled and melted, add the condensed milk and remove from the heat. Mix in the oats until covered by the caramel mixture. Pour the mixture into the tin and pat down with a spatula; you don’t have to be too fussy about this as, in the oven, it acts like a self-levelling floor screed and forms it own perfect level. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. When the flapjack starts to brown around the edges of the tin then it’s time to take it out – it will still be relatively pale in the middle. Cut into 16 pieces when still warm, but not straight away, as it tends to ‘cook’ back together again.

If you would like to decorate the flapjack, let it cool, then melt some dark chocolate in a bowl over just-poured boiling water. Make piping bags out of 20cm squares of parchment paper (cut the square in half diagonally to make two triangles, then make the long side into the nozzle by rolling it up). Pipe chocolate words, smiley faces... until the chocolate and creative flair dry up.