Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Grease a 20 x 30cm tin and line with baking parchment.

Step 2

Put the butter, sugar and syrup into a large heavy-based saucepan. Heat the mixture gently, stirring occasionally, until the butter has completely melted and the sugar has almost dissolved.

Step 3

Mix the oats into the hot sugar and butter, and stir together until all the oats are completely coated.

Step 4

Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and use the back of a spatula to press it down into an even layer.

Step 5

For soft and chewy flapjacks, bake for 15 minutes so the top has just started to caramelise and is a light golden colour. For crunchy flapjacks, bake for a further ten minutes.

Step 6

Leave to cool for five minutes in the tin,then use a sharp knife to mark into bars or squares. The flapjacks will keep in an airtight container for up to ten days.