Milk fudge flapjack

This includes two of my favourite things and I have made their worlds collide: flapjack – sticky, sweet and oaty – topped with a spiced Indian milk fudge. Why have one world when you can build a bridge between two.

Milk fudge flapjack. Credit: Nadiya's Simple Spices / Penguin Michael Joseph / Chris Terry

• makes

  12

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

For the flapjack

• 250 g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the tin
• 180 g golden syrup
• 180 g caster sugar
• 500 g rolled oats (porridge oats)
• 2 tsp almond extract

For the milk fudge

• 60 g unsalted butter
• 200 ml thick (double) cream
• 60 g caster sugar
• 6 cardamom pods
• 100 ml condensed milk
• 250 g semi-skimmed milk powder, blitzed in a processor to remove any lumps
• 100 g toasted flaked almonds

Cooling and chilling time: about 3 hours.

Instructions

1. For the flapjack, start by putting the butter, golden syrup and caster sugar into a pan and warming it all through till the butter has melted and sugar dissolved. Take off the heat.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) and line and grease the base and sides of a 20 cm square cake tin.
3. Add the oats to a bowl, pour in the melted butter/sugar mix and add the almond extract. Stir the mixture till everything is well combined.
4. Tip into the prepared tin and flatten into the tin making sure to pat down so everything is well compressed.
5. Pop into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. When the flapjack is ready, it will be golden around the edges and lighter in the centre. Take out and leave to cool completely, then chill in the fridge so we have a firm base for our fudge to sit on.
6. For the milk fudge, put the unsalted butter, double cream and caster sugar into a pan and mix till the sugar has dissolved.
7. Crush the cardamom pods, remove the husks and crush the black seeds. Add to the sugar mix. Stir in and then add the condensed milk and semi-skimmed milk powder. Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat and keep stirring till the mixture is thick and coming away from the sides of the pan.
8. Spoon the mixture right on top of the flapjack and press into an even layer. Sprinkle over the toasted almond flakes and press them in.
9. Leave to cool in the tin and then leave to chill in the fridge. Cut into squares and they are ready.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.