Cherry Bakewell Flapjacks

Do you remember those Mr Kipling Cherry Bakewells you used to have in your lunchbox as a child? You can still get them in the shops now; little jam tarts topped with glossy white icing and finished off with a ruby red glace cherry, but my goodness soooooo completely jam-packed full of sugar. Well, my Cherry Bakewell Flapjacks taste like those, but they’re healthier.

Cherry and almonds are a delicious combo, and my husband LOVES a Bakewell, so ever the one to take a much loved classic and ‘health it up’, I’ve come up with a recipe that takes the flavours of a cherry bakewell tart, but has none of the nasties.

Have a go and see what you think!

What’s In My Cherry Bakewell Flapjacks?

Flapjack

400g Porridge Oats
200g Unsalted Butter
150ml Maple Syrup
50g Ground Almonds
50g Chopped Almonds

Cherry Jam

100g Dried Sour Cherries
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Chia Seeds
Boiling Water to cover

Topping

50g Roasted Almond Flakes

How Do I Make Cherry Bakewell Flapjacks?

It’s best to start off by making the jam, as the cherries need time to soak. Put the cherries in a bowl along with the chia seeds and maple syrup and cover with boiling water. Give it a bit of a stir and then leave to soak for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and maple syrup in a saucepan, then remove from the heat and stir in the oats, ground almonds and shopped almonds until everything is combined.

Once the cherries have been soaking for 20 minutes, blend with a handblender until smooth and it looks like jam.

Pour and flatten the oat mixture into the base of a greased rectangular baking tin, then cover with the cherry jam.

Scatter the top with the roasted almond flakes and then cook in a moderate oven for 25 minutes.

Take the Cherry Bakewell flapjacks out of the oven and cut 15 squares, but leave to cool completely in the tin – they’ll fall apart if you try to remove them at this stage!

Once cool, go over the lines again with a sharp knife, remove and EAT!