Juicy and Sticky Blackcurrant Flapjacks

At times during half term last week I felt as though I was running a cafe. Kids were in, kids were out, friends were in, friends were out, and there seemed to be a constant request for food. I thought that if I made a batch of flapjacks it would keep them off my back for a while, to enable me to get on with more important stuff, such as catching up with Neighbours on the planner.

Unfortunately they liked the flapjacks a little too much, and they were deemed 'the best flapjacks you've ever made', and lasted less than 24 hours, putting me back to square one.

Blackcurrant Flapjacks

200g butter
200g caster sugar
200g golden syrup
400g oats
200g blackcurrant conserve

• Add the butter, sugar and syrup to a pan
• Heat gently until everything has melted and the mixture starts to come to the boil around the edges
• Remove from the heat and stir in the oats
• Add half of the mixture to a lined and greased 13"x9" pan & press down
• Spread the jam evenly over
• Add the remaining oat mixture over the jam & smooth over
• Bake in a preheated 170C oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown
• Allow to cool fully in the tin before slicing into squares

Rhubarb and Prosecco Fizz

There's talk of a Prosecco shortage this summer, but so far I haven't seen any evidence of it. Maybe it will happen when summer does eventually arrive, but hopefully not, as I quite like my weekend tipple.

There are so many ways to drink Prosecco; as it comes, with a drizzle of Chambord raspberry liquor or Creme de Cassis blackcurrant liquor, or even in a sparkling white sangria, which we enjoyed on a recent holiday in Majorca last month.

Last week I had a few sticks of rhubarb, and rather than making my usual pie or crumble I decided to make a rhubarb vodka syrup to use in a cocktail.

Rhubarb Vodka Syrup - makes approx 300ml

3-4 sticks of rhubarb

cold water

200g caster sugar

100ml vodka

• cut the rhubarb into 1" pieces & add to a large saucepan and cover with cold water
• bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer gently (with the lid on) until the rhubarb is completely soft
• leave to cool in the pan
• strain the juices through a jam bag or piece of muslin
• this gave me 600ml of juice, to which I added 200g of sugar (adjust accordingly)
• pour into a saucepan and bring to the boil, and simmer until the juice has been reduced to around 200ml
• stir in 100ml vodka and pour into a sterilised bottle

Rhubarb and Prosecco Fizz

rhubarb vodka syrup

ginger ale

Prosecco

mint leaves

• add approx 10ml of syrup to a champagne flute
• fill to just under halfway with ginger ale
• top up with Prosecco, and add some mint leaves

Ensure that your ingredients are ice cold, and add a small stick of rhubarb as a stirrer