Flapjacks - its not what you're thinking....

One of the bittersweet moments in life here in small town America (and I imagine, anywhere else) is when your 16 year old niece comes to you with her magazine order form from school that will raise funds for her after prom party. How am I supposed to look into that smiling face and say no?

Yeah, well, you know I didn't say no. Besides, I was overdue for a change in my subscriptions. I was getting a bit tired of Rachael and Paula. The newest additions to my coffee table are La Cucina Italiana and Bon Appetit.

I took both of these issues along with me on the plane to Baltimore to keep me occupied while Ty hammered away at his Nintendo, and came up with a few new recipes that I've just got to try for myself. The first of which, was Flapjacks.

Did you know that Flapjacks means something entirely different in the U.K.? I didn't. But, I do now! What I discovered, however, is that although the picture in my magazine was deceptive, the truth of the matter is that these little babies are really nothing more than granola bars. Very tasty little granola bars, but granola nonetheless.

Uber easy to throw together (the one sticking point would be the availability of Golden Syrup in your area. I found mine at Meijer.) With only a handful of ingredients, this goes together in a flash and they keep well for several days afterward without getting overly hard to bite into. Great with coffee or milk, I had mine for breakfast, although I have a feeling my British friends might tell me that is a foodie faux pas.

British Flapjacks
Makes 16

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup*
2 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or old fashioned)
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Butter 8x8x2 inch metal baking pan. Combine first three ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Add oats and salt; stir until coated. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread out in even layer.
Bake until top is golden (edges will be darker), about 25 minutes.Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut into 4 squares; cut each square into 4 triangles (mixture will still be soft).Cool completely in pan before serving.*A type of syrup popular in Great Britain; availableat some supermarkets, specialty food stores, and British import shops.