I’m from the school dinners era of sponge cake drenched in icing and sprinkles, honey sandwiches and Angel Delight, and NOTHING pleased me more than when I got to the dessert part of the canteen carousel to find a square of millionaire’s shortbread in a little half-paper- half-plastic bag twisted closed. A crumbly biscuit layer, drenched in sweet, sticky caramel with a snap of chocolate on top – this really is the richest biscuit ever created and I can’t wait for you to try my sneakily virtuous version.

Method: 

• Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/gas 7). Grease a deep, 20cm (8in) square baking pan.
• Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan, then stir in the tahini and honey. Mash your bananas up and work them into the mix, then add your seeds and oats. Tip your ‘flapjack’ mixture into your greased baking tray and press and flatten the mixture firmly, being sure to push it into the corners. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
• For the ‘caramel’, if your dates are a bit dry, revive them in hot water for 15 minutes and then drain away the water before adding them to a food processor with the peanut butter and salt. Pulse until a tacky caramel-like dough forms. If it needs loosening you can add 1 teaspoon of warm water at a time. You want it runny enough that it will spread but not so runny that it won’t hold its shape and set.
• Once your ‘flapjack’ has cooled, pour over the ‘caramel’ and pop in the fridge to set.
• Melt your dark chocolate either in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water, or in short 10-second blasts in the microwave. Pour the chocolate over your cooled caramel and return to the fridge to set.
• Cut into squares and serve with a nice cup of tea!

NOTES

Best stored in an airtight container for 1 week in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Recipe extracted from Everyday Comfort (Quadrille)