... I don't think we really have anything that's equivalent to [flapjacks] here in Canada ...
I have a recipe for flapjacks given to me by a lovely, elderly lady in St. John's - I must try making them again.
My own default cake recipe was also from a lady in Newfoundland - a cherry cake with cream cheese in the mix. I've also made variants with raisins soaked in Pimm's, and with lemon zest and juice.
I bought the ingredients for tiffin the other day, but then realised the appropriately sized tray, which I'd salvaged from my dad's house, didn't make it across the Pond when I moved back, so I'll have to look for a new one.
I also have suffered from flapjack confusion as I've often heard British people mention them and have, of course, pictured pancakes, which don't seem to work at all in the contexts being discussed -- like Victoria Coren-Mitchell's shocking revelation on Taskmaster that she always carries an emergency flapjack in her purse. It was actually just this week that I finally googled to see what the UK "flapjacks" are and was quite surprised. I don't think we really have anything that's equivalent to that here in Canada. Must keep an eye out for some flapjacks on my UK trip this fall!
One word, two very different meanings depending on where you are (see also robin, torch).
The flapjack recipe I'm familiar with is from the Pooh Cook Book.
My mother is no longer able to do much baking, so I try to bring home-baked goodies when I visit. Yesterday, it was a version of her stellar banana cake which, as it works best with very overripe bananas, goes by the family moniker Rotten Banana Cake. She usually topped it with coffee icing, but occasionally varied it with a broiled topping (nuts, brown sugar, coconut, butter and cream, spread over the cake and browned under the broiler). Mom told me she used it when the cake didn’t turn out well, because nobody would notice with all that stuff on top.
My mother always made flapjack which I would describe as being similar to muesli bars but without any fruit. They were certainly nothing like pancakes. I really find it difficult to understand why a pancake would be called a flapjack.
My mother always made flapjack which I would describe as being similar to muesli bars but without any fruit. They were certainly nothing like pancakes. I really find it difficult to understand why a pancake would be called a flapjack.
Wait until you find out about boots, hoods, gas and fannies.
My own default cake recipe was also from a lady in Newfoundland - a cherry cake with cream cheese in the mix. I've also made variants with raisins soaked in Pimm's, and with lemon zest and juice.
I use the same recipe to make a cake with chocolate chips. IME it tastes better if I let it sit in the fridge a few days.
I also have suffered from flapjack confusion as I've often heard British people mention them and have, of course, pictured pancakes, which don't seem to work at all in the contexts being discussed -- like Victoria Coren-Mitchell's shocking revelation on Taskmaster that she always carries an emergency flapjack in her purse. It was actually just this week that I finally googled to see what the UK "flapjacks" are and was quite surprised. I don't think we really have anything that's equivalent to that here in Canada. Must keep an eye out for some flapjacks on my UK trip this fall!
We thought the reference was to pancakes.
I did too, but found it hard to imagine why even someone as eccentric as VCM would consider it a good idea to carry a pancake in her purse. The reference makes much more sense now that I've seen what it is. I think if I had to describe it in Canadian terms I'd call it a type of bar cookie, but even that doesn't explain it perfectly.
Now that you know that all my reference points for UK culture (if not from the Ship or 19th century novels) come from the world of TV and podcast comedy, you'll better appreciate that the thing that finally made me look up flapjacks was the flapjack bakery owned by James Acaster's sister, which he was talking about at length on the Off Menu podcast. I knew by this time that they weren't pancakes, but was finding it hard to have a clear picture of what they actually were. But now I know.
Anyway, flapjacks definitely on the menu for our trip this fall!
Those are a very fancy variants, typically it's oats, butter and some kind of syrup (syrup / honey / treacle), mixed and baked in a flat tin, then cut into rectangles.
Yes I figured if you opened an entire bakery specializing in flapjacks, they'd be considerably fancier than what the average person produces in their kitchen, but it gave me an idea of the basic format.
Your post reminded me that I've spent 50+ years reading British novels and wondering, "What is treacle? Is it basically the same thing as molasses?" and I only just got around to googling it.
Your post reminded me that I've spent 50+ years reading British novels and wondering, "What is treacle? Is it basically the same thing as molasses?" and I only just got around to googling it.
Yes, I always thought that (blackstrap) molasses and black treacle were produced at slightly different stages of the refining process, but apparently they are the same thing. However, when I was a child, we called golden syrup "treacle" - if you wanted the other kind, you had to specify black treacle.
My wife’s family (mother anyway) called golden syrup treacle. The other place that happens is treacle tart which (IME) is always made with golden syrup.
from flap (v.) + jack (n.), using the personal name in its "generic object" sense. So called from the process of baking it by flipping and catching it in the griddle when done on one side.
Perhaps it’s another example of usage outside the UK reflecting an older usage, while usage in the UK has changed.
In my head raisins are a "standard" ingredient in flapjack, but I've variously added apricots, prunes, crystallised ginger, cocoa, chocolate, mixed peel (sorry @KarlLB ) and probably other things over the years. I prefer a mix of rolled and porridge oats - the latter for binding and the former for texture. My favourite variant is an inch thick traybake which features 1 1/2 lb of sugar, 1 lb of syrup, 1/2 lb of very dark chocolate, 6 oz cocoa powder, 1/2 lb raisins, 1/2 lb chopped dried apricots, 12 oz margarine, and as many oats as you can stir into the mixture and keep them fully coated. The only snag is that you need a sharp knife and a lot of force to cut it, and it's not advised to be consumed by those with an excess of fillings.
For those who would like a recipe for flapjack, my late mother's might be of interest.
4 oz. butter; 1 cup soft brown sugar; 3 cups rolled oats; salt to taste
Melt butter, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add oats and mix well. place in a lightly greased tin and flatten out evenly. Bake at 160 C until golden. Mark into bars and leave to cool in tin. Store in air tight container.
This was her simplest version. She did have others which involved golden syrup etc.
My late Mum also made parkin as she was a Lancashire lass. It was my father's favourite, especially for a treat at a picnic. She maintained that rolled oats were not suitable but that medium oatmeal was best. According to notes in her recipe book she also preferred good quality lard rather than butter if available ( if unavailable then use butter).
My wife’s family (mother anyway) called golden syrup treacle. The other place that happens is treacle tart which (IME) is always made with golden syrup.
Mmm, treacle tart. My mum used to make a great treacle tart. We always had a pudding of some sort when I was a child, partly I think to fill us up. I had older brothers whose stomachs were bottomless pits. (I believe the other way of filling the family up was always to have bread on the table with a meal; my family never did that.)
Very interesting discussion about flapjack and parkin etc. I remember now that my father (a Durham man originally) would occasionally call the flapjack "parkin".
Well the boxes I usually use (with those labels) contain different things - the former have been cut and are pretty small, the latter are whole but flattened. What terms would you use to distinguish the two?
Well the boxes I usually use (with those labels) contain different things - the former have been cut and are pretty small, the latter are whole but flattened. What terms would you use to distinguish the two?
Are the former what here would be called “steel-cut” or “pinhead”?
What I buy are porridge oats, and they are definitely flattened. I have always believed that the product sold as porridge oats are rolled oats.
Quaker and Mornflake sell Jumbo Porridge Oats, which are described as rolled oats, I usually get supermarket own brand, and the oats are small and flat, I presume the big ones are sieved off and the smaller ones go to cheaper brands. The description on the back of the current bag (Co-op) says they are rolled oat flakes.
Jordans sell a product labelled Organic Porridge Oats, which they describe as "organically produced wholegrain rolled oats", possibly also bigger than the kind I buy but not claiming to be jumbo.
The only cut oats I have heard of are steel-cut oats, which are usually described as such
Ah. Not here. Steel-cut as sold here often take longer to look than rolled, though you can get quick cook steel-cut. I stand is almost always a form of rolled oats.
I’ve learned in trying to “translate” recipes that the designations for types of oats can vary quite a bit,
<snip> She usually topped it with coffee icing, but occasionally varied it with a broiled topping (nuts, brown sugar, coconut, butter and cream, spread over the cake and browned under the broiler). <snip>
I think that's what's referred to as a grill in British English.
Meanwhile I have a longing for Battenberg cake. Not sure I can be bothered going to the effort though, especially since it's the sort of thing of which husband en rouge is not fond. I might have to wait until we have visitors.
I think that's what's referred to as a grill in British English.
At least in the States, the broiler is the heating element at the top of the oven, which one uses to broil, or in the case of something like the icing @Meg the Red describes, brown food.
AFAICT in US English to grill is to cook over heat rather than under it. For years I thought 'broil' was a variant of 'boil'.
That's what it sounds like.
Cooking over heat is - well, frying or boiling if using a pan. Only likely to happen outdoors, if we're talking about directly over the heat, in which case we call it barbecuing.
AFAICT in US English to grill is to cook over heat rather than under it. For years I thought 'broil' was a variant of 'boil'.
That's what it sounds like.
Cooking over heat is - well, frying or boiling if using a pan. Only likely to happen outdoors, if we're talking about directly over the heat, in which case we call it barbecuing.
Yes, grilling here is cooking on a grill—parallel bars—over fire, coals or the like, without a pot or pan. In some parts of the US, that may also be called barbecuing, but not in my part of the US. Here, the older meaning of “barbecue” (as a verb) is still used—slow cooking over indirect heat and smoke.
But here, “barbecue” is more often a noun, meaning pork (or maybe beef) that has been slow cooked over indirect heat and smoke. If you say you’re “barbecuing,” people are going to expect a pig, or at least a pork shoulder, that’s been cooked for hours and hours, not hamburgers or chicken.
AFAICT in US English to grill is to cook over heat rather than under it. For years I thought 'broil' was a variant of 'boil'.
That's what it sounds like.
Cooking over heat is - well, frying or boiling if using a pan. Only likely to happen outdoors, if we're talking about directly over the heat, in which case we call it barbecuing.
Yes, grilling here is cooking on a grill—parallel bars—over fire, coals or the like, without a pot or pan. In some parts of the US, that may also be called barbecuing, but not in my part of the US. Here, the older meaning of “barbecue” (as a verb) is still used—slow cooking over indirect heat and smoke.
But here, “barbecue” is more often a noun, meaning pork (or maybe beef) that has been slow cooked over indirect heat and smoke. If you say you’re “barbecuing,” people are going to expect a pig, or at least a pork shoulder, that’s been cooked for hours and hours, not hamburgers or chicken.
As a noun, a barbecue in the UK is either the name for the event ("we're having a barbecue on Saturday") or the appliance that does the cooking.
AFAICT in US English to grill is to cook over heat rather than under it. For years I thought 'broil' was a variant of 'boil'.
That's what it sounds like.
Cooking over heat is - well, frying or boiling if using a pan. Only likely to happen outdoors, if we're talking about directly over the heat, in which case we call it barbecuing.
Yes, grilling here is cooking on a grill—parallel bars—over fire, coals or the like, without a pot or pan.
Here the "grill" part of the oven will have a (parallel bars) grill standing in a pan, which is probably the link between the two uses.
AFAICT in US English to grill is to cook over heat rather than under it. For years I thought 'broil' was a variant of 'boil'.
That's what it sounds like.
Cooking over heat is - well, frying or boiling if using a pan. Only likely to happen outdoors, if we're talking about directly over the heat, in which case we call it barbecuing.
Yes, grilling here is cooking on a grill—parallel bars—over fire, coals or the like, without a pot or pan. In some parts of the US, that may also be called barbecuing, but not in my part of the US. Here, the older meaning of “barbecue” (as a verb) is still used—slow cooking over indirect heat and smoke.
But here, “barbecue” is more often a noun, meaning pork (or maybe beef) that has been slow cooked over indirect heat and smoke. If you say you’re “barbecuing,” people are going to expect a pig, or at least a pork shoulder, that’s been cooked for hours and hours, not hamburgers or chicken.
As a noun, a barbecue in the UK is either the name for the event ("we're having a barbecue on Saturday") or the appliance that does the cooking.
In my part of the US, barbecue as a noun never means the event or the appliance. It always means the food. The event, if hamburgers or the like are involved, is called a cook-out. If it’s barbecue that’s being served, then in my corner of the world the event is called a pig pickin’.
Meanwhile I have a longing for Battenberg cake. Not sure I can be bothered going to the effort though, especially since it's the sort of thing of which husband en rouge is not fond. I might have to wait until we have visitors.
I love Battenberg (mmm...marzipan!) and it is something I make occasionally for a nice afternoon tea. My husband wants to make a version of this cake though https://www.mindfood.com/recipe/mondrian-cake/
I had to look “flapjacks” up. Here, that’s another term for pancakes/hot cakes, and I was trying to imagine chocolate-covered pancakes.
The grandparents came to visit when eldest Cnihtlets were small, and took them out to a local cafe for breakfast as a treat. We were expecting them to eat egg, sausage, potatoes, maybe pancakes - all things they eat.
They came back with massive grins on their faces, and informed us that their beloved grandparents had purchased them M&M pancakes - normal US pancakes with about a cup of M&Ms per pancake added to the mix.
Yes, it's hard to find a flapjack anywhere in the US, but when Mrs C makes them, they're usually quite popular.
What I find different from most cakes is the coarse chewy texture.
Really a glorified biscuit, or “slice” according to my late MIL who was the Slice Queen
Definitely along the lines of an Aussie/NZ slice - I believe Antipodean slices/sweet baking in general is very heavily influenced by Scottish baking, which makes sense. Caramel slices are now usually called millionaire's shortbread in the UK but in the 90s when I was a child they were definitely called caramel slices. I love the slightly grainy caramel they have. What you would call slices are often called a traybake in the UK.
Not sure that the Scottish influence is so great in Oz compared to NZ and Canada. Colonisation was far more English and Irish ( both convict and economic migration).
The Great Slice Fancy is a relatively recent peculiarity ( 1930s and onward) & could have stemmed from the increased availability of women’s magazines from England,avidly imitated by the Country Women’s Association and suchlike.
AFAICT in US English to grill is to cook over heat rather than under it. For years I thought 'broil' was a variant of 'boil'.
That's what it sounds like.
Cooking over heat is - well, frying or boiling if using a pan. Only likely to happen outdoors, if we're talking about directly over the heat, in which case we call it barbecuing.
Yes, grilling here is cooking on a grill—parallel bars—over fire, coals or the like, without a pot or pan. In some parts of the US, that may also be called barbecuing, but not in my part of the US. Here, the older meaning of “barbecue” (as a verb) is still used—slow cooking over indirect heat and smoke.
But here, “barbecue” is more often a noun, meaning pork (or maybe beef) that has been slow cooked over indirect heat and smoke. If you say you’re “barbecuing,” people are going to expect a pig, or at least a pork shoulder, that’s been cooked for hours and hours, not hamburgers or chicken.
As a noun, a barbecue in the UK is either the name for the event ("we're having a barbecue on Saturday") or the appliance that does the cooking.
In my part of the US, barbecue as a noun never means the event or the appliance. It always means the food. The event, if hamburgers or the like are involved, is called a cook-out. If it’s barbecue that’s being served, then in my corner of the world the event is called a pig pickin’.
We (in Australia) use "barbecue" for both the appliance, cooking with the appliance, and the event.
Our gas BBQ has both grill plates and flat plates. We also have a wood (burning) BBQ on which we use only the flat plate. We cook full meals which may have meat, but also eggs (in circles of capsicums (bell peppers), haloumi, zucchini (courgettes), potatoes (previously boiled), toast, tomatoes, eggplant (aubergines), and, recently, chokoes.
Comments
My own default cake recipe was also from a lady in Newfoundland - a cherry cake with cream cheese in the mix. I've also made variants with raisins soaked in Pimm's, and with lemon zest and juice.
I bought the ingredients for tiffin the other day, but then realised the appropriately sized tray, which I'd salvaged from my dad's house, didn't make it across the Pond when I moved back, so I'll have to look for a new one.
We thought the reference was to pancakes.
The flapjack recipe I'm familiar with is from the Pooh Cook Book.
Wait until you find out about boots, hoods, gas and fannies.
I use the same recipe to make a cake with chocolate chips. IME it tastes better if I let it sit in the fridge a few days.
I did too, but found it hard to imagine why even someone as eccentric as VCM would consider it a good idea to carry a pancake in her purse. The reference makes much more sense now that I've seen what it is. I think if I had to describe it in Canadian terms I'd call it a type of bar cookie, but even that doesn't explain it perfectly.
Now that you know that all my reference points for UK culture (if not from the Ship or 19th century novels) come from the world of TV and podcast comedy, you'll better appreciate that the thing that finally made me look up flapjacks was the flapjack bakery owned by James Acaster's sister, which he was talking about at length on the Off Menu podcast. I knew by this time that they weren't pancakes, but was finding it hard to have a clear picture of what they actually were. But now I know.
Anyway, flapjacks definitely on the menu for our trip this fall!
Your post reminded me that I've spent 50+ years reading British novels and wondering, "What is treacle? Is it basically the same thing as molasses?" and I only just got around to googling it.
Porridge oats are rolled oats.
4 oz. butter; 1 cup soft brown sugar; 3 cups rolled oats; salt to taste
Melt butter, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add oats and mix well. place in a lightly greased tin and flatten out evenly. Bake at 160 C until golden. Mark into bars and leave to cool in tin. Store in air tight container.
This was her simplest version. She did have others which involved golden syrup etc.
Recipe.
Very interesting discussion about flapjack and parkin etc. I remember now that my father (a Durham man originally) would occasionally call the flapjack "parkin".
Really a glorified biscuit, or “slice” according to my late MIL who was the Slice Queen
Well the boxes I usually use (with those labels) contain different things - the former have been cut and are pretty small, the latter are whole but flattened. What terms would you use to distinguish the two?
Quaker and Mornflake sell Jumbo Porridge Oats, which are described as rolled oats, I usually get supermarket own brand, and the oats are small and flat, I presume the big ones are sieved off and the smaller ones go to cheaper brands. The description on the back of the current bag (Co-op) says they are rolled oat flakes.
Jordans sell a product labelled Organic Porridge Oats, which they describe as "organically produced wholegrain rolled oats", possibly also bigger than the kind I buy but not claiming to be jumbo.
The only cut oats I have heard of are steel-cut oats, which are usually described as such
I’ve learned in trying to “translate” recipes that the designations for types of oats can vary quite a bit,
Broiler? What has a chicken to do with cake 😳
Meanwhile I have a longing for Battenberg cake. Not sure I can be bothered going to the effort though, especially since it's the sort of thing of which husband en rouge is not fond. I might have to wait until we have visitors.
That's what it sounds like.
Cooking over heat is - well, frying or boiling if using a pan. Only likely to happen outdoors, if we're talking about directly over the heat, in which case we call it barbecuing.
But here, “barbecue” is more often a noun, meaning pork (or maybe beef) that has been slow cooked over indirect heat and smoke. If you say you’re “barbecuing,” people are going to expect a pig, or at least a pork shoulder, that’s been cooked for hours and hours, not hamburgers or chicken.
As a noun, a barbecue in the UK is either the name for the event ("we're having a barbecue on Saturday") or the appliance that does the cooking.
Here the "grill" part of the oven will have a (parallel bars) grill standing in a pan, which is probably the link between the two uses.
Speaking of which, pig pickin’ cake.
The grandparents came to visit when eldest Cnihtlets were small, and took them out to a local cafe for breakfast as a treat. We were expecting them to eat egg, sausage, potatoes, maybe pancakes - all things they eat.
They came back with massive grins on their faces, and informed us that their beloved grandparents had purchased them M&M pancakes - normal US pancakes with about a cup of M&Ms per pancake added to the mix.
Yes, it's hard to find a flapjack anywhere in the US, but when Mrs C makes them, they're usually quite popular.
Meanwhile, the thought of M&M pancakes is making me a little queasy.
Definitely along the lines of an Aussie/NZ slice - I believe Antipodean slices/sweet baking in general is very heavily influenced by Scottish baking, which makes sense. Caramel slices are now usually called millionaire's shortbread in the UK but in the 90s when I was a child they were definitely called caramel slices. I love the slightly grainy caramel they have. What you would call slices are often called a traybake in the UK.
The Great Slice Fancy is a relatively recent peculiarity ( 1930s and onward) & could have stemmed from the increased availability of women’s magazines from England,avidly imitated by the Country Women’s Association and suchlike.
Our gas BBQ has both grill plates and flat plates. We also have a wood (burning) BBQ on which we use only the flat plate. We cook full meals which may have meat, but also eggs (in circles of capsicums (bell peppers), haloumi, zucchini (courgettes), potatoes (previously boiled), toast, tomatoes, eggplant (aubergines), and, recently, chokoes.