Ultimate Mountain Flapjack
There are certain well established cliches in the outdoor world: a camper will have a mug (or frying pan!) hanging off their rucksack. A walker shall have a flask. Another is that outdoor people ie walkers, mountaineers, climbers and campers shall eat flapjack.
Yes it’s definitely a clique but that’s not a very good reason for not eating loads of it. The flapjack is an excellent hill food. A well put together flapjack can contain all the nutritional elements that we need to fuel ourselves out on the hill (or at the climbing wall or even sat at home drinking coffee!). This recipe contains protein, carbohydrates, fat and sugar; all those good things we need to keep moving in whatever environment we decide to play in.
The oats, nuts and dried fruit mixture in a lovely Mason Cash bowl
This basic flapjack recipe is quite easy to make, you will need;
200g of Porridge Oats (not jumbo oats as the normal smaller sized oats will bond together better).
100g of butter.
100g of nuts and/or seeds. Hazelnuts, brazil nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds or whatever you fancy.
100g of dried fruit ie figs, dates. Chop this fruit up into smaller chucks.
50g brown sugar.
50g Honey or Maple Syrup.
The method
Chuck the porridge oats nuts, seeds and chopped fruit in a bowl and mix them up. For extra outdoorsy inspiration while mixing up your ingredients try the Mason Cash In The Forest series. These high quality bowls have lovely pictures of bears, foxes and owls on the sides!
Mason Cash In The Forest Bowl
Chuck the butter, sugar and honey or syrup (or both) in a sauce pan and melt together slowly on a stove over a low heat.
When this lovely gooey mixture has melted and mixed together add the oats and nuts and seeds and give it all a good stir with a wooden spoon to mix it all together. Make sure the butter, sugar and honey or syrup is evenly mixed into the oats, nuts and seeds.
Lick the spoon.
Pre-heat eat the oven to 200C or if using a fan oven heat to 180C.
While the oven is heating up transfer the mixture of all the ingredients into a baking tin lined with baking paper. Then tap the mixture down with your wooden spoon making sure the mixture is well spread throughout the tin.
Pour the mixture into a lined baking tin and tap down and compress with a wooden spoon
Then when it’s all nicely spread out and compressed pop it into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
When the baking time is up take out the flapjack mixture and allow it to cool. (while cooling the mixture will bind together). Don’t be tempted to eat it too soon!
The flapjack mixture cooling down after baking
When it’s completely cooled down have a quick nibble before cutting it all up into conveniently sized slices. I usually end up eating loads more than intended at this stage.
Chop it all up!
When it’s all nicely chopped up and if any is left uneaten store it it an airtight container. I use a Kilner New Fresh storage container with a vacuum seal. Another option is a Elephant Box.
Kilner Airtight container filled with lovely flapjack
Take it outside and eat it. Or bring some on your next Beyond the Edge course!
Alex
Beyond the Edge Ltd is based in the Peak District, easily reached by train from London and within easy travelling distance from Sheffield, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham and other Northern towns and cities.
We are one of the UKs most experienced providers of climbing, walking, scrambling, mountaineering and navigation training courses. Most of our courses are run in the Peak District National Park which has some of the finest rock climbing, bouldering, walking and hiking in the world.
