when flapjacks aren't pancakes

I saw a recipe for "British flapjacks" in a magazine a couple weeks ago.  I had never heard of British flapjacks before - in fact, I had only heard the word flapjacks in reference to pancakes.  Let me tell you, these are NOT pancakes...nor are they even similar to pancakes.  These are amazingly tasty, super simple treats that are just asking for fun additions like raisins, coconut, almonds, or pumpkin seeds.  They sure don't look like much...at most, like a boring granola bar.  But, just taste them - chewy in the center, crisp around the edges, hearty oat flavor, rich yet subtle.  Yum.  I will point out that there is a whole stick of butter in them...along with a good amount of sugar so perhaps they are better suited for dessert than a mid day snack.  That said, they would be a perfect thing to take along on that back country ski day (sure, a girl can dream right?).

After making a batch, I left a few out on the butcher block for Eric and took the rest to a potluck.  When he got home from work, I got a text from him asking "what are these AMAZING things that I found in the kitchen?"  Yup, they are that good.

The original recipe calls for golden syrup.  Apparently, this is something that people use often in Britain.  I didn't have any, didn't want to search for it, and had better stuff on hand so I changed the recipe a bit.  

British Flapjacks
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
3T honey
2T brown rice syrup
2 2/3 cup quick cooking oats
pinch of salt

Take the first 4 ingredients and put them into a saucepan.  Stir continuously over medium-low heat until the ingredients are combined (butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture is smooth).  Add oats and salt, stir till coated.  Transfer the mixture to a buttered 8x8x2 inch baking pan and spread out in an even layer.

Bake at 350 F until top is golden (edges will be a bit darker) - about 25 minutes.  Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes.  Cute into 4 squares; cut each square into 4 triangles.  DO NOT remove them from the pan - they will still be too soft.  Cool completely before serving (or removing from the pan).