Coconut and Sesame Seed Flapjacks with a healthy twist!

Welcome to 'Sweet Tooth' and the first of what I hope will be many delicious cakes and baking recipes thanks to a new collaboration between myself and professional baker friend Angharad Llywelyn. Angharad is a member of the British Sugarcraft Guild and has been baking for years. With so much experience behind her, she finally decided to set up her wedding cake business in 2009 and since then it has gone from strength to strength. 

Together, we will be bringing you a monthly slot on some of our favourite baking recipes but will also be welcoming recipes from readers who would like to share their own recipes on the blog! To find out more about Angharad's fabulous cakes you can visit her website at: http://www.alweddingcakes.co.uk

So, this month we thought we'd start with something simple yet delicious....coconut and sesame seed flapjacks...

Ingredients

250g salted butter

200g Golden Syrup

150g unrefined sugar 

50g coconut

50g sesame seeds

350g organic porridge oats

Directions

1.   Preheat the oven to 175°C / 347F /Gas Mark 3 or 150°C / 302F / Gas Mark 2 if using a fan assisted oven.

2.   Weigh the coconut, sesame seeds, unrefined sugar and oats.

3.   A good tip is to add the butter to a medium sized saucepan and place on your digital scales before turning on 

     the display.

4.  Pour the golden syrup over the butter until you have measured out the 200g required.

5.  Add the unrefined sugar and then warm over a medium heat until the ingredients have completely melted.

6.   Add the coconut and sesame seeds into the pan.

7.   Add the porridge oats and stir until the oats are completed coated with the mixture.

8.   Place the mixture in a greaseproof lined metal tin approximately 7"x10" in size and spread evenly.

9.   Cook in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.

10.  Stand for an hour before dividing into 12 or 16 slices and leave to cool completely before removing  

       from the tin to give the flapjacks time to set.

11.  Enjoy!

Calories: 12 slices at 420 calories each and 20g of fat.

              16 slices at 315 calories each and 15g of fat.

Although flapjacks are somewhat calorific and therefore we wouldn't advocate you eating the whole tray in one sitting(!), we thought we'd ease your guilt by bringing you some interesting facts about the health benefits...they are also a great way of getting seeds into your children too!

OATS - Health Benefits

• Lower Cholesterol Levels
• Unique Oat Antioxidants Reduce Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
• Stabilise Blood Sugar
• Oats and Other Whole Grains Substantially Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk
• Antioxidant Benefits
• Fibre from Whole Grains and Fruit Protective against Breast Cancer
• Cereal and Fruit Fibre Protective against Postmenopausal Breast Cancer
• Whole Grains and Fish Highly Protective against Childhood Asthma
•  Protect against Heart Disease
• A Well-tolerated Wheat Alternative for Children and Adults with Celiac Disease

SESAME SEED - Health Benefits

• Rich In Beneficial Minerals
• Copper Provides Relief for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Magnesium Supports Vascular and Respiratory Health
• Calcium Helps Prevent Colon Cancer, Osteoporosis, Migraine and PMS
• Zinc for Bone Health
• Sesame Seeds' Phytosterols Lower Cholesterol

BUTTER

Is Margarine Better than Butter? NO! This is a tragic myth. Butter is a completely natural food essential to your health - especially when you eat organic.

• Contains lauric acid, important in treating fungal infections and candida.
• Contains lecithin, essential for cholesterol metabolism.
• Contains anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage.
• Has anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage.
• Has anti-oxidants that protect again weakening arteries.
• Is a great source of Vitamins E and K.
• Is a very rich source of the vital mineral selenium.
• Saturated fats in butter have strong anti-tumour and anti-cancer properties.
• Butter contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is a potent anti-cancer agent, muscle builder and immunity booster.
• Vitamin D found in butter is essential to absorption of calcium.
• Protects against tooth decay.
• Is your only source of an anti-stiffness factor, which protects against the calcification of the joints.
• Anti-stiffness factor in butter also prevents hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland.
• Is a source of Activator X, which helps your body absorb minerals.
• Is a source of iodine in highly absorbable form.
• May promote fertility in women.
• Is a source of quick energy and is not stored in our bodies adipose tissue.
• Cholesterol found in butterfat is essential to children's brain and nervous system development.
• Contains Arachidonic Acid (AA) which plays a role in brain function and is a vital component of cell membranes.
• Protects against gastrointestinal infections in the very young or the elderly.

Golden Syrup - Interesting facts:

It was discovered in 1883 by a Scottish businessman, Abram Lyle, as a byproduct of sugar cane production in his factory in London. It was originally made available to employees and was so popular that it was decided to produce and market it. It proved so successful that it has been on sale ever since. Lyle's packaging has remained almost unchanged since 1885 and now holds the Guinness record as the world's oldest brand.

Raw Unrefined Sugar

Raw unrefined sugar is not the same as the brown sugar that you see in the store, even though they are both brown. Unrefined raw sugar is made from the juice from the sugar cane plant and has trace minerals and nutrients present. Refined sugar is devoid of all nutrients. Typically, white sugar is made of pure carbohydrates. Today, it is common knowledge that refined white sugar has devastating affects on the body and health in general. Besides being a certain way to elevate blood sugar levels, unrefined white sugar is considered to be “empty calories” as it offers no nutritional substance whatsoever.

When it comes to choosing sugar, there is no doubt that unrefined raw sugar is the best choice. It contains minerals and nutrients that are stripped from refined white sugar and regular brown sugar. Raw sugar contains roughly eleven calories per teaspoon and has the same vitamin and mineral consistency that is found in the juice from the sugarcane plant. These minerals include Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, and Potassium. In addition, when sugar is refined and processed there are many harmful ingredients that are added to the sugar as a result. Unrefined raw sugar does not have these harmful chemicals. Some of these include: Phosphoric Acid, Sulphur Dioxide, and Formic Acid

Welcome to 'Sweet Tooth' and the first of what I hope will be many delicious cakes and baking recipes thanks to a new collaboration between myself and professional baker friend Angharad Llywelyn. Angharad is a member of the British Sugarcraft Guild and has been baking for years. With so much experience behind her, she finally decided to set up her wedding cake business in 2009 and since then it has gone from strength to strength. 

Together, we will be bringing you a monthly slot on some of our favourite baking recipes but will also be welcoming recipes from readers who would like to share their own recipes on the blog! To find out more about Angharad's fabulous cakes you can visit her website at: http://www.alweddingcakes.co.uk

So, this month we thought we'd start with something simple yet delicious....coconut and sesame seed flapjacks...

Ingredients

250g salted butter

200g Golden Syrup

150g unrefined sugar 

50g coconut

50g sesame seeds

350g organic porridge oats

Directions

1.   Preheat the oven to 175°C / 347F /Gas Mark 3 or 150°C / 302F / Gas Mark 2 if using a fan assisted oven.

2.   Weigh the coconut, sesame seeds, unrefined sugar and oats.

3.   A good tip is to add the butter to a medium sized saucepan and place on your digital scales before turning on 

     the display.

4.  Pour the golden syrup over the butter until you have measured out the 200g required.

5.  Add the unrefined sugar and then warm over a medium heat until the ingredients have completely melted.

6.   Add the coconut and sesame seeds into the pan.

7.   Add the porridge oats and stir until the oats are completed coated with the mixture.

8.   Place the mixture in a greaseproof lined metal tin approximately 7"x10" in size and spread evenly.

9.   Cook in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.

10.  Stand for an hour before dividing into 12 or 16 slices and leave to cool completely before removing  

       from the tin to give the flapjacks time to set.

11.  Enjoy!

Calories: 12 slices at 420 calories each and 20g of fat.

              16 slices at 315 calories each and 15g of fat.

Although flapjacks are somewhat calorific and therefore we wouldn't advocate you eating the whole tray in one sitting(!), we thought we'd ease your guilt by bringing you some interesting facts about the health benefits...they are also a great way of getting seeds into your children too!

OATS - Health Benefits

• Lower Cholesterol Levels
• Unique Oat Antioxidants Reduce Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
• Stabilise Blood Sugar
• Oats and Other Whole Grains Substantially Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk
• Antioxidant Benefits
• Fibre from Whole Grains and Fruit Protective against Breast Cancer
• Cereal and Fruit Fibre Protective against Postmenopausal Breast Cancer
• Whole Grains and Fish Highly Protective against Childhood Asthma
•  Protect against Heart Disease
• A Well-tolerated Wheat Alternative for Children and Adults with Celiac Disease

SESAME SEED - Health Benefits

• Rich In Beneficial Minerals
• Copper Provides Relief for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Magnesium Supports Vascular and Respiratory Health
• Calcium Helps Prevent Colon Cancer, Osteoporosis, Migraine and PMS
• Zinc for Bone Health
• Sesame Seeds' Phytosterols Lower Cholesterol

BUTTER

Is Margarine Better than Butter? NO! This is a tragic myth. Butter is a completely natural food essential to your health - especially when you eat organic.

• Contains lauric acid, important in treating fungal infections and candida.
• Contains lecithin, essential for cholesterol metabolism.
• Contains anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage.
• Has anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage.
• Has anti-oxidants that protect again weakening arteries.
• Is a great source of Vitamins E and K.
• Is a very rich source of the vital mineral selenium.
• Saturated fats in butter have strong anti-tumour and anti-cancer properties.
• Butter contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is a potent anti-cancer agent, muscle builder and immunity booster.
• Vitamin D found in butter is essential to absorption of calcium.
• Protects against tooth decay.
• Is your only source of an anti-stiffness factor, which protects against the calcification of the joints.
• Anti-stiffness factor in butter also prevents hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland.
• Is a source of Activator X, which helps your body absorb minerals.
• Is a source of iodine in highly absorbable form.
• May promote fertility in women.
• Is a source of quick energy and is not stored in our bodies adipose tissue.
• Cholesterol found in butterfat is essential to children's brain and nervous system development.
• Contains Arachidonic Acid (AA) which plays a role in brain function and is a vital component of cell membranes.
• Protects against gastrointestinal infections in the very young or the elderly.

Golden Syrup - Interesting facts:

It was discovered in 1883 by a Scottish businessman, Abram Lyle, as a byproduct of sugar cane production in his factory in London. It was originally made available to employees and was so popular that it was decided to produce and market it. It proved so successful that it has been on sale ever since. Lyle's packaging has remained almost unchanged since 1885 and now holds the Guinness record as the world's oldest brand.

Raw Unrefined Sugar

Raw unrefined sugar is not the same as the brown sugar that you see in the store, even though they are both brown. Unrefined raw sugar is made from the juice from the sugar cane plant and has trace minerals and nutrients present. Refined sugar is devoid of all nutrients. Typically, white sugar is made of pure carbohydrates. Today, it is common knowledge that refined white sugar has devastating affects on the body and health in general. Besides being a certain way to elevate blood sugar levels, unrefined white sugar is considered to be “empty calories” as it offers no nutritional substance whatsoever.

When it comes to choosing sugar, there is no doubt that unrefined raw sugar is the best choice. It contains minerals and nutrients that are stripped from refined white sugar and regular brown sugar. Raw sugar contains roughly eleven calories per teaspoon and has the same vitamin and mineral consistency that is found in the juice from the sugarcane plant. These minerals include Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, and Potassium. In addition, when sugar is refined and processed there are many harmful ingredients that are added to the sugar as a result. Unrefined raw sugar does not have these harmful chemicals. Some of these include: Phosphoric Acid, Sulphur Dioxide, and Formic Acid