British gooseberries have a very short season and a lot can depend on how much sun we’ve had. As you can imagine, this year has seen bumper crops and so I thought I’d put them to good use by turning them into Gooseberry and Elderflower Flapjacks.
One of my all time favourite summer desserts is the Gooseberry Fool that my mother in law makes from the gooseberries grown in her garden, so feeling inspired by that and throwing in a few of my own ideas I’ve come up with a flapjack recipe that captures the sharpness of this green prickly fruit and sweetens it up with another prickly green fruit, kiwi, as well as some elderflower cordial and honey.
The actual flapjack base is relatively simple and I’ll be honest the real star of the show is the gooseberry chia jam dolloped on top – it’s a real winner!
Have a go and let me know what you think.
What’s In Gooseberry and Elderflower Flapjacks?
- 200g Oats
- 150g Gooseberries
- 150ml Honey
- 50g Unsalted Butter
- 25g Chia Seeds
- 2 Kiwis
- 1 tbsp Elderflower Cordial
How Do I Make Gooseberry and Elderflower Flapjacks?
Start by making the gooseberry and elderflower jam as this will need time to cool down and set. Top and tail the gooseberries and put in a saucepan along with the chopped kiwis, 75ml of the honey, the chia seeds and the elderflower cordial.
Cook on a low heat, making sure to keep stirring so that the jam doesn’t burn, until the fruit has softened and it starts to become sticky and jam like in consistency. If you need to add a little water at any point that’s absolutely fine.
Remove the pan from the heat and blitz with a stick blender. It’s entirely up to you how much you blend it, personally I like a few lumps remaining in mine, but if you prefer your jam smooth then keep blending.
Pour into a bowl and leave to cool whilst you crack on and make the flapjacks.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and then stir in the remaining honey.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the oats until well combined.
Pour in half of the gooseberry and elderflower jam and mix well.
Using two teaspoons, spoon the flapjack mixture into 16 holes of a greased mini cupcake tin and bake at 160ºC for 20 minutes.
When the flapjacks have turned a lovely golden colour on top, remove the tray from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin.
Once cool, remove the flapjacks and spoon the remaining gooseberry and elderflower jam over the top.
TOP TIP – These Gooseberry and Elderflower Flapjacks make a delicious dessert when served with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream. Or if you have any left over gooseberry and elderflower jam try mixing it into some natural yogurt for a lighter, healthier version of a Gooseberry Fool.
Have you got a flapjack recipe that you would like to feature in #FlapjackFriday?
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