Flapjacks have to be one of my all-time favourites. These are the beautiful jammy jewels in the collection. Try one for breakfast or in a picnic or lunch box.

 Prep

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350/4. Grease an 18×30.5x4cm/7x12x1 ½ in tin with butter.
2. Tip the butter and sugar into a bowl. Beat them together vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mix is white and creamy.
3. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Add the vanilla extract and oats. Mix well.
4. Tip half the mix into the tin, spreading evenly. Press it firmly down, using your hands, so it covers the base completely and fills the corners.
5. Use a spatula to spread a layer of jam over this base. If the jam is stiff you can beat it with a wooden spoon to loosen it up a bit first.
6. Sprinkle the remaining oat mix evenly over the jam so it’s absolutely covered.

Cook

1. Bake for 20 minutes until just golden. Start to check after 10-15. Remove the tin and sit it on a cooling rack.

Plate

1. After 10 minutes cooling, take a sharp knife and mark the flapjack into squares. Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin. I use a knife and spatula to do this. Makes a great breakfast to go as well as a teatime treat.