gluey blackcurrant flapjacks -where did I go wrong ?

[peridito]

My flapjacks are more like sticky granola .The blackcurrant layer bubbled up at the sides .I used thawed frozen blackcurrants .
Anyone suggest where it's likely I went wrong ?

I used this

INGREDIENT

350g fresh or thawed from frozen blackcurrants

100g caster sugar

100g soft brown sugar

200g butter

275g rolled porridge oats

75g pistachios, roughly chopped

75g ready-to-eat figs, chopped into small pieces

100g plain flour

zest of 1 lime

3 tbsp golden syrup

a 20cm square tin, lightly oiled

• Blackcurrants used in this recipe were kindly provided by British Frozen Fruits

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C/fan180C/gas 6. In a wide-based pan, gently melt the butter for a few minutes.

Take a large bowl and mix together the oats, flour, sugar, pistachios, figs and lime zest, then stir in the melted butter and golden syrup until combined and the oats are evenly coated.

Pour half the flapjack mixture into the base of the prepared tin, then add a middle layer of the blackcurrants, followed by the remaining oats, pressing each layer into an even surface as you go.

Place in the oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden and starting to crisp at the sides.

Leave to completely cool on a wire rack before cutting into 18 bars.

Sounds delicious!! I would gobble it up with vanilla ice cream regardless :)

Any chance you missed out the flour, or other binding ingredient?

Did you wait until is was really cooled & set before cutting?

Were the oats the big chunky kind, or finer oats?

Maybe the base layer needs REALLY pressing down to provide a stable bottom?

1 Sounds delicious!! I would gobble it up with vanilla ice cream regardless :)

2 Any chance you missed out the flour, or other binding ingredient?

3 Did you wait until is was really cooled & set before cutting?

4 Were the oats the big chunky kind, or finer oats?

5 Maybe the base layer needs REALLY pressing down to provide a stable bottom?

1 ooh with vanilla ice cream ,what an excellent idea !

2 I don't think I missed the flour out ,I'm sure I didn't .I think .

3 yes

4 big and chunky

Thanks 5hell . Might have to pop out for ice cream .

I would cook the blueberries down to make them more jammy I think. They are a very wet fruit and combined with the flour in the mixture that would explain the glueyness.

Thanks CMOT ,I might try that next time . Do you think I'd need to increase the quantity of blackcurrants if I cooked them ? As I guess it would reduce the volume .

Maybe it's not the best of recipes ? Tasty though ,bit like a loose Christmas pudding .

I agree, there's a lot going on in those flapjacks. Apart from the times I make ones that are intentionally stuck together granola, I always do the condensed milk recipe and then maybe add one component. Actually, I'm inspired to do a blackcurrant compote layer in those now

The blackcurrants add a lovely tartness.

I think I'll be giving this recipe a miss ,off to research date slices .

I've never added flour to a flapjack before.

My basic mix is brown sugar, golden syrup and butter melted together.
Then mix in oats and fruit and whatever.

Then bake.

Mine too.

I made something similar with plums and think there's too much butter! It's a similar amount used in your recipe, I'm not sure it needs 200g

Normally ime you use dried fruit. There will be a big differencein water content between fresh and dried.

Thank you guys - I've never made flapjacks so no experience .But what you all say makes sense .And I definitely think the frozen blackcurrants had too much water content.

I make what I think might be the same recipe very successfully, but the recipe print out is downstairs so I'll have to check tomorrow. From memory, the only tweak I make to the recipe is to double everything except the blackcurrants - so there's a much thicker layer of flapjack. There is then enough flapjack to contain and absorb the gooey blackcurrant layer.

I've never seen flour in a flapjack recipe and also think that's too much butter.

I also use the condemned milk version and they never fail.

If you use fresh fruit, toss it in cornflour first so that absorbs some of the liquid as it comes out of the fruit and makes it more jammy.

Melt 125 grams of butter in a pan. Take off the heat and mix in 3 tablespoons of golden syrup. Add 100 grams of brown sugar. Add 250 grams if oats. Mix well.
We then add two 180gram bars of Dairy Milk (Chocolate flapjacks are the best)
Put on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
Bake at 160°C fan for 15 mins and leave to set for a few hours.
These are the best flapjacks, soft and gooey but not crumbly.

So I've checked and I use what looks like the same recipe as you as other than having pecans rather than pistachios and dates rather than figs it all looks the same lindyscakes.co.uk/2016/08/04/recipe-for-moist-and-delicious-blackcurrant-flapjack-squares/ . I increase everything except the blackcurrants by 150% (so 300g butter, 412g oats, 150g flour etc). I also cook it at a slightly lower temperature, 160 C fan not 180C. It then works perfectly with either fresh or still frozen blackcurrants. I also score the flapjack in the tin about 20 min after taking it in the oven, but then leave it to properly cool before taking it out as it's much easier to cut if you do that.

If you are using redcurrants, I've found they cook down better so you can use the original quantities but still need the lower temperature.

Thank you very much good tip about tossing fruit in cornflour might give the condemned milk a swerve though .
Thanks for checking Crabby ,I'm going to have another go using your tweaks and the cornflour tip .