The Flapjack - AKA The Energy/Muesli/Granola Bar

When I worked in England, I discovered the flapjack - also known as muesli bars - or what seemed like to me a less healthy, baked version of a granola bar. Although many of the packaged flapjacks I tried were quite tasty, they never really seemed like an appropriate alternative to a dessert for me - especially when I had an alternative of sticky toffee pudding, bread and butter pudding, or another similar warmed and gooey dessert. This was the case until I endeavored to make my own flapjack-like creation. I initially began with a recipe from my boss' Hummingbird Bakery cookbook and soon realized just why the bar was loaded with so much fat and calories. With butter pulling much of the weight in the recipe and a syrupy sugar mixture pulling the most, it was no wonder that the fat and calorie content of the granola bar look-a-like was comparable to a spongy custardy pudding. Needless to say these flapjacks were wonderful and they instantly became one of my favorite things to make because they were so easily adaptable. However a part of me couldn't help but gulp every time I added the 325 grams of butter and the near 500 grams of both golden syrup and brown sugar.
When I returned to the states, I soon forgot about the flapjacks/muesli bars. I have only just recently begun to think about them again thanks to my continuous endeavor to be able to accommodate some of today's dietary restrictions and preferences. Anyways, these bars quickly popped into my head during my attempts to develop some healthier alternatives to desserts, but that didn't compromise on their taste and texture factor. The flapjack seemed like a perfect adaptable concoction, but it definitely needed modification. Thus I did a bit of exploring and research and this is what I came up with after a couple of goes. It might be better suited to be the title of energy bar because it really could be that healthy, and therefore maybe I have swayed too far from the flapjack. I call them "muesli bars" because to make them I do actually use a store-bought, albeit organic muesli with raisins, hazelnuts, quick rolled oats, and wheat flakes.

Note: Any of the seeds, nuts, and dried fruit can be substituted with any other and you can easily play with flavors in this.

Muesli Bars
1 cup muesli - you could also substitute rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
3 Tblsp wheat germ
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup hazelnuts
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup flax seeds
2 tblsp butter
2/3 cup honey

1) Prepare an 8x8" square baking pan by greasing it and lining it with parchment paper.
2) Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat, and add the muesli/oats, coconut, wheat germ, and sesame seeds. Toast the mixture for about 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. Transfer the ingredients to a large mixing bowl to cool.
3) Next add the hazelnuts to the pan and toast them shaking the pan from time to time. After about five minutes remove the hazelnuts to a paper towel or a dish towel and rub the nuts between the towel and each other so as to remove their skins. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and add them to the mixing bowl with the raisins and flax seeds.
4) Finally reduce the heat to medium and add the butter and the honey to the pan. Stir the butter and honey to combine then allow to simmer in the pan for 3-5 minutes without stirring.
5) Pour the hot mixture in with the dry ingredients and toss everything together until the ingredients are evenly combined.
6) Transfer the contents of the bowl to the prepared pan and set a piece of parchment paper over the top. Press the mixture down evenly into the pan.

You can allow the pan to cool at room temperature, but as I tend to want to cut into the bars sooner rather than later, I put the pan into the refrigerator and weigh it down with various items for about an hour.