monkey magic flapjacks

With my “ULTIMATE” brownies already leg-end-ary among the Smirking Classes of Hastings and St. Leonards-on-Sea it was time to focus my attention on the “ULTIMATE” flapjack. So for inspiration I decided to turn my attention to Sun Wukong. Not just to honour the Monkey King of my birth but also to celebrate my forthcoming ‘Journey to the West’. Not in search of Buddhist scrolls with Tripitaka but indeed to fulfil a destiny I have with my beloved St. Leonards-on-Sea. I can’t say too much just yet but it’s exciting and the chattering arses are already doing just that. Flapping and clapping with baited breath. Haha. My Sun Wukong tattoo by Lesley Chan at Shangri-La Parlour.

So Monkey Magic Flapjacks are a gift to all you plant based vegan munching Monkeys out there that was handed directly to me by Tathagata Buddha. These flipping fabulous flapjacks are filled with bananas, date and walnuts but also, oh yes there’s way more to these… molasses sugar and syrup to impart a rich toffee edge. So get up and get to the kitchen and get making these you hungry monkeys. I made a batch with a soft bake this morning and headed out to offer samples and while spreading funshine and food I met this pair of beautiful souls on the London Road in St. Leonards-on-Sea. We are the human rainbow of joyous emotions.

On returning home I made a second batch with some ingredient tweaks and a higher temperature. They are both good so I guess it’s down to personal taste.

Ingredients

80g Golden syrup
40g Molasses
200g Vegan spread
100g Coconut oil
40g Dark brown sugar
40g Demerara sugar
Half tsp of salt
500g Oats
100g Dates
2tbs self-raising flour
100g Walnuts
50g Crispy rice cereal
200g bananas

Method

Weigh the golden syrup and molasses directly into the sauce pan.

Add the vegan or non dairy spread and the coconut oil to the pan and then melt together over a low heat.

Weigh out the sugar and mix them together.

Chop the walnuts into small pieces and then stone the dates. If your dates are very fresh and sticky then dust them with a little self-raising flour.

This will help you to chop them and keep them separated. Once chopped flour them once again.

Slice the bananas in halves and quarters lengthways and then chop them into tiny pieces.

Dust the banana pieces with a little self-raising flower to help.

Then toss all the dry ingredients into the melted oils. Starting with the oats.

Add the nuts and the and the crispy rice.

Pop half of the mixture into a 30cm x 20cm silicon paper line tin and then scatter the bananas on.

Then cover with the remaining oat mixture and press down to firm the mixture.

Now bake in the over for 25 minutes. If you like a soft chewy bake then put the over on 150C/300F/GM2. If you prefer a crunchier flapjack then bake it on 180C/350F/GM4.

“I love a flapjack” said a friend “When you come in from a busy day they’re like a really great snack!” and I have to agree but so too is several flapjacks as hunger is so relative!