Hiking snacks - flapjack

I have not been thinking about hiking much this fortnight. I’ve been outside a fair bit - I did consider writing you a post about the zoo, and pretending that counts. And the price of food in any major tourist attraction you would certainly want to make sure you had your snacks at the ready. But I decided that didn’t count.

Neither did my beautiful commute, which skirts the side of Arthur’s Seat and goes past the physic garden at Holyrood. And again - lovely, and you should do it. But that’s not a one sandwich hike so much as a stroll between bus stops.

But I HAVE been working on perfecting my hiking snack game. Packable, high energy snacks that keep you going. Ready for more serious hiking in the coming weeks, when I have fewer family things on.

And I did promise people who followed me recipes for hiking snacks. So this is sort of on topic, right?

Anyway. These flapjacks are based on the ones in Ella Risbridger’s Kitchen Book, which is a wonderful recipe book. Honestly, Ella Risbridger is a great writer. And the final chapter is called “on the floor” and contains recipes for when you just can’t. Mine differ from hers in as much as I have reverted to Nigella Lawson’s use of condensed milk, and also in that I have dispensed with any sensible suggestions about precisely what you should put in here in terms of dried fruit and nuts and so on. Basically, this is a great opportunity to use up the open bags in your cupboard.

The reason these make great hiking snacks are that they contain nuts and seeds. And no, I am not going to pretend this is health food. We are all clever enough to know that the body processes sugar as sugar and it isn’t going to miraculously process the sugar in condensed milk, overpriced syrup or dried fruit any differently from normal sugar. But the nuts and seeds are slower release, do at least contain some protein, and feel virtuous.

So, ingredients:

150g of whatever nuts you have around

300g of rolled oats

50g desiccated coconut

150g of assorted dried fruit

150g of mixed seeds - again

1tsp salt

1tsp dried ginger

420g condensed milk


Preheat your oven to 150C if it’s a reasonably well behaved fan oven. Mine runs hot, so 140C does.

If your nuts are un-chopped, chop them roughly until they are about currant sized. And similarly, if you are using large dried fruit, say, bigger than a cherry, chop those until they are no bigger than a cherry.

If you dislike any of those ingredients, then apart from the oats, you can probably skip them. Add a bit more of something else. It’s a very forgiving recipe.

Then basically put the lot into your largest mixing bowl and mix it. It won’t look like you have quite enough condensed milk, but it will be OK in the end.

Then line a baking tin - not a thin sheet, a deeper one. The easy way to do this is to get some baking parchment a bit bigger than your tin, and crumple it up small. Then open it up again and plonk it in. My mother would be measuring and trimming sides at this point - you really don’t need to.

And then all you have to do is take your well mixed oats and nuts and so on and flop it into the lined tray, then press down, and put it in the oven for 15 minutes. After that, turn the oven down 20 degrees to 120-130C, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Technically, you should then let it cool for 15 minutes and slice. I tend to leave it as one sheet and hack some off as needed.

When you are heading off up a hill, wrap them in a reusable snack bag (the smug and responsible option) or foil, and try to keep them at the top of your bag where they won’t be bashed to badly.

They’ll keep in a tin for about a week.

They’re a handy energy boost, taste lovely, and it’s an awful lot less processed than a bought energy bar or something. And like I say, a great way of using up the last 50g in the bottom of a lot of bags in your cupboard.

I promise something more hiking-focused next time, dear readers, but in the meantime, at least your snacks are prepared.