Hola! I’m back in the UK after a really quite enjoyable time in Spain; not only was the wedding a roaring success, it was unreasonably festive. Spanish weddings are a bit of an enigma if truth be told; they are utterly informal, the bride and groom almost always make a profit and they last, non-stop, for 18 hours. Of course, these characteristics mean if one is offered the chance to attend a Spanish wedding one must grasp it with both hands. There is plenty to be said regarding my two-weeks abroad (don’t worry, a few recipes will make an appearance), but that’s quite enough for now – you’ll just have to wait for my next post.

Flapjacks have always been a favourite of mine – this must be because they are decadent and taste delicious, but one always suspects that they are doing some form of good since they are composed primarily of oats. Of course, this may not be and indeed probably isn’t the case, but there’s nothing quite like a placebo for promoting blissful ignorance. With these chocolate flapjacks one experiences a similar effect, though the dark, richness of the chocolate does tend to obscure the sense of well-being just a smidge. However, one needn’t feel righteous every day of one’s existence so forgiveness can be expected – a blessing which may be expedited by a post-flapjack jog. Perhaps this wild mountain goat I met in Spain could assist…

Truly these are the most exceptional flapjacks I have ever eaten and the most indulgent. After masticating upon a number of these one can happily expel from their minds any thought of the bog-standard flapjacks coated in a layer of poor-quality milk chocolate. Feel free to add whatever superlatives you desire to these, be they pecans, almonds or raisins – though be careful not to add too many, one wouldn’t want to spoil the texture. Indeed, the presence of chocolate between each individual oat adds rather a lot to the experience – there is certainly no break in the taste.

n.b. my photography my not appear as splendid as usual; I’m not at home and the table here has, in my eyes, a truly unfortunate hue.

Double Chocolate Flapjacks

Makes 12-14

Ingredients:

• 300g porridge oats

• 150g light muscovado sugar

• 150g salted butter, unsalted is fine

• 4 tbsp golden syrup

• 5 tbsp dark cocoa powder

• A handful of raisins, sultanas or nuts

• 200g plain or dark chocolate, melted

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 140C and grease a large, square cake tin. In a large saucepan melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup. Stir in the cocoa powder, followed by a handful of raisins or nuts and the oats. Ensure the oats are evenly covered. Press into the tin with a fork or spoon and bake for 15-20 minutes, until they are just cooked through.

2. Once cooked leave to cool for 20 minutes, before cutting, leaving to cool for another 20 minutes and turning out. Melt the chocolate and dip each flapjack into it, before placing on a sheet of foil or greaseproof paper. This dipping process is easiest with a mug. Eat once the chocolate has set, which should take an hour.

Cost: The only ingredient which is potentially expensive here is the chocolate – everything else is a fairly common household staple. The quality of chocolate you buy for the coating simply depends on your personal tastes. Here, for instance, I can get good chocolate for a relatively small amount of money. As such, these devilish treats should set one back no more than around £2.20.