Mary Berry’s Christmas flapjacks are chewy oat squares made with butter, demerara sugar and golden syrup, studded with ruby dried cranberries. The recipe makes 24 squares, and takes about 50 minutes, plus cooling in the tin.
The recipe is the Cranberry Flapjacks variation in Mary Berry Cookery Course (2015). Her base recipe uses sultanas, and she says “you can replace the sultanas with the same quantity of dried cranberries.” The red fruit makes them festive enough for a Christmas biscuit tin, and the method is simple enough for children to help.
How you treat the mixture decides the texture. Berry’s Secret of Success says to stir in the oats until coated, add the fruit, and “do not over-work the mix.” Pressing it firmly into the tin with the back of a spoon then binds it, so the squares hold together when cut.
Mary Berry Christmas Flapjacks Recipe
Course: Dessert, SnacksCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy24
servings10
minutes40
minutes185
kcal50
minutesA melt-and-mix traybake from the Cookery Course (2015), made in one pan with five ingredients. It turns out a big batch of 24 squares, which is ideal for packing into tins as Christmas gifts or putting out on a festive tea table.
Ingredients
225g (8oz) butter, plus extra for greasing
225g (8oz) demerara sugar
75g (2½oz) golden syrup
350g (12oz) porridge oats
100g (3½oz) dried cranberries
Directions
- Prepare the tin: Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan/325°F/Gas 3). Grease the tin and line the base with baking parchment.
- Melt and mix: Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup into a large pan over a medium-low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. When melted, take the pan off the heat and stir in the oats until coated, then add the cranberries. Don’t over-work the mix.
- Press into the tin: Spoon the mixture into the tin. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon and level the surface.
- Bake: Bake for about 35 minutes, until pale golden brown. Turn the tin halfway through so it colours evenly.
- Cut: Leave to cool for about 10 minutes, then cut into 24 squares with a sharp knife.
- Cool and lift: Leave in the tin to cool completely, then lever the flapjacks out with a fish slice.
FAQs
Why cut the flapjacks after only 10 minutes?
At that point they’re firm enough to hold a clean edge but still soft enough for the knife. Leave them until cold and the set syrup makes them hard to cut without crumbling. Leaving the cut squares in the tin to finish cooling, as step 6 says, lets them firm up without breaking apart.
How do I stop flapjacks going hard?
Don’t over-bake them. In the Baking Bible (2010), Berry warns that flapjacks “can become hard” if baked too long, so take them out when they’re pale golden, not deep brown. They’ll still feel slightly soft in the middle, and they firm up as they cool.
How long do they keep?
Berry says they’ll last for up to a week in an airtight tin, “if they’re not eaten first!” That makes them a good bake to do a few days before Christmas. Layer them between sheets of baking parchment so the squares don’t stick together.
Can I use other festive fruit?
Berry’s own swap is the dried cranberries, which go in at exactly the same weight as the sultanas they replace. For a spicier Christmas tray, her chocolate and ginger flapjacks in Mary Berry Cooks (2014) keep for up to 2 weeks in a cake tin. Pinch Perfect also has her ginger flapjacks.
What else goes in a Christmas baking tin?
Flapjacks sit nicely alongside something rich and something chocolatey. A slice of her Christmas cake covers the rich side. Squares of her no-bake chocolate biscuit cake round out the tin.
