Union flapjack recipe

Timings

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 40-45 minutes

Serves

12

Ingredients

For the flapjack

• 200g butter, roughly chopped

• 200g golden caster sugar

• 4 tbsp golden syrup

• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

• 400g porridge oats

• 80g dried cranberries

To decorate

• 200g white chocolate, chopped into small pieces

• 200g fresh raspberries

• 200g fresh blueberries

• 200g dried cranberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Grease and line a 20 x 27cm brownie tin, leaving the paper hanging over the edges on two opposite sides, to make it easier to lift out.

2. Put the butter, sugar, syrup and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Set it over a medium heat and warm, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

3. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the oats and cranberries, combining everything thoroughly.

4. Transfer the mix to your lined tin. Smooth the surface level using a cranked palette knife or dough scraper. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges.

5. Once out of the oven, it’s a good idea to use the palette knife to gently pat down and even out the edges of the flapjack, which can rise at the sides.

6. Allow the flapjack to cool fully in the tin before removing it. Place on a chopping board and remove the paper.

7. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Pour the chocolate over the flapjack and spread with a palette knife to create a smooth, even surface. Allow the chocolate to cool and firm up slightly before creating your flag design (left).

8. You can, if you like, lightly score guidelines on the white chocolate with the end of a cocktail stick.

9. Start by creating the central raspberry cross, two raspberries (about 4cm) wide, placing the raspberries rounded end upwards on the chocolate. Carefully cut the remaining raspberries into pieces to fill in any gaps so no white chocolate is visible through the cross.

10. Next create the blueberry sections. After the main shapes have been created, cut the remaining blueberries into pieces with a sharp knife and fill in the gaps.

11. Finally, place the cranberries in diagonal lines, inserting the dried fruit into the chocolate so that they stick up and are level with the fresh berries. Leave to set before serving.

Recipe from Quintessential Baking by Frances Quinn (Bloomsbury, £25).