Oat crunchies

"These are the greatest crunchies ever! Ideally, these will have a crunchy exterior and a chewy centre. This recipe is really simple but you can add anything you like – seeds, nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, ANYTHING. These can be baked into a larger tray, they’ll be thinner but they’ll bake faster and may be a little crunchier. Just remember that if you are using a larger tin (30 x 45), the crunchies will be thinner and need a slightly lower cooking time – check their progress after 15 minutes in the oven"  – Khanya Mzongwana

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a 23 x 28 cm baking tray with greaseproof paper. Place the flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and combine. If you’re adding seeds, nuts or chocolate chips, add them now.

2. Melt the butter and golden syrup in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once the butter starts bubbling, add the bicarbonate of soda. It will start to foam a little. Remove from the heat and mix with the dry ingredients. The mixture will seem a little crumbly at first, but once you press it into the tray it will stick together. You can use a spatula or spoon to press it down into the pan and use your fingers to press down the edges.

3. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cut into squares while still warm. The crunchies will still be quite soft when they come out of the oven, but will crisp up as they cool. Allow to cool completely.

4. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt for 1 minute in the microwave. Using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate onto the crunchies. You can skip this step, but I feel like the chocolate adds a little razzle dazzle. Remove from the tray carefully, to prevent them from crumbling. Store in an airtight container so they retain their crunchiness.

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Photograph: Jan Ras