Seedy Baking (with Cherry Flapjack Bites)

I'm not gonna lie to you, I've felt pretty lazy over the last few months and not really feeling the baking, hence the lack of posts lately. Then by golly, inspiration hit in the form of a wodge of butter!

Ok, let me explain - I got a message from the Clover family asking if I wanted to take part in the 'Clover Seedburst Recipe Challenge'.

I wasn't sure at first, because I actually tend to steer clear of using butter in my baking (well, discounting PIES of course) - but what with Seedburst having loads of healthy seeds and wholegrains, and generally being less fatty than normal butter, I jumped at the challenge.

I started off with what I thought would be a relatively easy recipe to create - these Cherry Flapjack Bites...

But even before they reached the oven, I was convinced they weren't going to come out right (that's confidence for you!). Luckily though, I managed to salvage them...

It's hard to say where exactly it started to go wrong, but I only really noticed when I was er, about to pour the mixture into the tin. Hm, yeh a bit late in the day I know. The mixture just seemed quite dry and not meshing well. Solution? Well, at the last minute - I added in more butter into the mixture that was still in the bowl. It still didn't seem quite right, when the mixture was all in the tin though.

So I picked up my knife and spread more butter on top - yes, as if this flapjack was a large piece of toast.

And the result?

Perfectly edible, not-dry-at-all, cherry flapjack bites - phew!

Cherry Flapjack Bites

Makes around 28 bites (for a 12 x 8" tin):

• 250g self raising flour
• 250g rolled oats
• 125g white sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 200g dark cherries, halved
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 200g Clover Seedburst butter (or any other soft butter)
• 75ml olive oil
• 50g melrose cherry jam

1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl, and mix in the oats, sugar and baking powder.

2. Fold in the dark cherries.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the butter, oil and jam until smooth. Add to the dry mixture and mix well.

4. Pour into a lined 12 x 8" tin, using a knife to smooth out the top.

5. Bake at 180 degrees C for 25-30 minutes until nicely brown.

I've since used Clover Seedburst in other baking recipes, because oddly enough, it feels a bit wasted just spread on plain old bread! It's more fun to bake with instead. So keep your eyes peeled for more recipes I'll share soon ;-)

More Hungry Jenny cakes you might enjoy here!