Scottish Flapjacks

Not a pancake...looks more like an oaten version of a Rice Crispie treat. I did some research after a comment was made at our Glencoe gathering and found this tasty looking recipe...I will have to give them a try, this doesn't bode well for my continued weight loss though...

Flapjack Recipe

          Oatmeal biscuit recipe to make 12 - 16 flapjacks

Ingredients For Flapjacks:

75g of butter or margarine
50 - 75g light brown sugar
1 tablespoon of golden syrup
175g of porridge oats

Flapjack Baking Directions:

1. Put the butter or margarine, sugar and golden syrup into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the fat and sugar have melted.

2. Add the porridge oats and blend thoroughly.

3. Press into a well greased 18cm square sandwich tin.

4. Bake in the centre of a moderate oven at 180c or 350f or gas mark 4 for 25 minutes or until evenly golden brown.

5. Mark into fingers whilst warm.

6. Allow to become almost cold in the tin before removing.

7. Enjoy!

 

Alternative Instructions For Flapjacks:

To make chocolate flapjacks:

Prepare flapjack mixture as above. Cool slightly then add 50g of chopped chocolate pieces before putting into the sandwich tin.

Taste Ye Back: Great Scots and the Food That Made Them recommends adding a good pinch of salt when stirring in the oats of a flapjack recipe.

A nutty flapjacks recipe can also be found in The National Trust for Scotland book The Scottish Kitchen by Christopher Trotter which uses chopped walnuts for a delicious and crunchy taste.

Maw Broon fae the Sunday Post has published a cookbook full of her favourite Scottish and family recipes. Read More About It!

Eating in has a cranberry, coconut and seed oaty flapjacks recipe which can be easily adapted for other seeds and dried fruit.

Glencoe - 2012

We had a smaller turnout this year...which was not unexpected, given the rift we have experienced with some clan folk. This years' ceremony was more intimate and we really concentrated on remembering the events of 1692 and on the folk who have passed in the last year.

The weather was beautiful, cool but the sun was shining...much better than the rain we had been having in the days leading up to this. The church was gracious as well and our official photographer got a marvelous shot of it this year.

I made oatmeal and cranberry cookies, which I was told resembles a Scottish dish called 'flapjacks' I will have to do some research and give them a try. Todd made shortbread and scones which were a BIG hit! Tammy made pound cake, Sue brought her infamous 'oldsmobile' cookies and Tina bought a beautiful cake...we put on a GOOD spread!

Todd was our piper after having 2 different ones cancel on us...he was nervous as all get out, but his piping was really great when he was standing still.

He was having trouble when trying to march...so he will continue to practice that...he was having trouble keeping the notes as he went, he figures he wasn't keeping the correct pressure on the bag while he was walking. He still does so much better than I...the last time I attempted to even get a note out of my pipes, I almost blew my teeth out of my mouth...darn dentures any how! But our procession still didn't look too shabby...

Tammy gave us a not so brief history of the massacre of Glencoe, along with a some background on the events leading up to the tragedy. She also told us that she would of loved to have been a history teacher...at Harvard, of course!

Tom read a poem written by his wife, which I will be featuring in the next issue of the 'Signal' and he led us all in a prayer for those who had fallen...in 1692 and in the last year.

We then proceeded to place stones on the cairn to remember them by. A wreath of white flowers and 2 pots of white heather graced the cairn also.

We retired to the church basement for a warming drink and a sweet respite. To natter and catch up before moving to The Road House to share a meal and something more fermented. Not the big bang we had last year, but a very satisfying event and a good start on this year's escapades.

And then there was Ireland...

We decided to spend St Patrick’s Day in Ireland…so this weekend we bought bus tickets from Edinburgh to Glasgow (where we will have a several hour layover) and tickets from Glasgow to Belfast. I am looking forward to doing a wee bit of sightseeing in Glasgow during our layover…at the least get some good pictures!

We haven’t decided if we are staying in Belfast or if we are going to wander around a bit more…the argument…er, discussion continues! As we figure that out we will then be able to book our accommodations accordingly.

Hopefully, we will have more time to devote to our itinerary after this next week end…as we get the Glencoe memorial finished up for the year. But I will give that its own post.

Here we go!

Todd and I got married on New Year’s Day 2012…and we are honeymooning in Scotland this March.  This will be my first trip to Scotland…my first trip outside the continental USA. For Todd, this will be his 4^th trip to Scotland, so he gets to play tourist guide to me.

Stay tuned for planning, pictures and lot’s of highjinks…