Crunchies
Crunchies – the well-loved South African biscuits that remind of Anzac biscuits, or even British flapjacks – comes in many variations, but this recipe is for a somewhat thinner, crunchier version.
They last well in a tin, and are handy to have around when you pack lunchboxes for school and work.
Ingredients
- 125 gram butter
- 50 gram (2 tablespoons) honey or golden syrup
- 3 tablespoons (75 ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
- ¾ cup (180 ml) sugar, granulated white or brown
- ½ cup (125 ml) flour
- ½ (2.5 ml) teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon
- 2 cups (500 ml) oats
- 1½ cups (375 ml) coconut
Method
- Preheat your oven to 160 °C and line a flat rectangular baking tray (with sides) with baking paper. You can also use a Swiss roll pan, which measures about 320 mm by 230mm.
- Melt the butter and add the golden syrup and milk. Heat the mixture in a saucepan, but do not boil it.
- Add the baking soda and mix well, until it becomes frothy. Turn off the heat.
- Add sugar, mix well, and allow it to cool slightly.
- Mix the oats and coconut together.
- Sift the flour, salt and cinnamon over the oats mixture, and stir in to combine.
- Add to the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Press the mixture onto a greased baking sheet.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until golden in colour.
- Remove from oven and cut into blocks while it is still warm. Leave the blocks to cool down completely.
- To make them extra crunchy, return the crunchies to the already turned-off oven for about 10 minutes.
Notes
Here are a few ideas for optional flavours:
- Extra ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup walnuts
- ½ cup extra desiccated coconut
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
You can also add a handful of choc chips to the mixture before baking, or drizzle melted chocolate over the baked slices. You can double the ingredients if you prefer a thicker bar.