I thought I would post the recipes for the flapjack and the banana cake. They are both wonderful recipes - never failed for me yet. I like recipes like that, especially when they taste so good.

Coconut Flapjack - recipe from the Dairy Book of Home Cookery courtesy of one of the ladies from http://www.downthelane.net/

4 oz butter or marg
3 oz golden syrup (2 good tablespoons)
3 oz soft brown sugar (I use 2 oz white granulated and 1 oz muscovado bought on offer)
1 oz coconut
8 oz porridge oats (may need to adjust quantity slightly)

Put marg, syrup and sugar into a pan and melt over a lowish heat until sugar is dissolved. Take off the heat.

Add coconut, stir through and then add oats. Stir well to coat them all - if not enough (depends on how much syrup you add) add some more until a stiff mix.

Put into a greased, shallow 6 inch square tin and spread using the back of a spoon. (I don't grease the tin but line it with silicone paper so that I don't damage the tin when I cut it up.)

Bake for 20 mins or so at 180/350/gas 4 until lightly golden.

Leave to cool slightly , then cut into squares and leave to go cold in tin.

You can also add a handful of sultanas, chopped walnuts, chopped cherries or chocolate if you want. Or even coat the top with melted chocolate once it is cool and leave to set.

I carefully take the squares apart to put in a tub, holding them over a board so that I can easily collect the crumbs to keep as a crunchy topping for icecream.... Yum!


Banana Cake - courtesy of one of the posters from http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

Makes 2 cakes - I like to use 2 lb loaf tins so that they cook easily side by side and they are also easy to slice and freeze. I can take out a slice or two at a time and let them thaw.

6 oz marg
9 oz sugar
3 eggs
4 mashed bananas - riper the better (I have on occasion used just 2 and it was fine)
12 oz SR flour
1 1/2 teasps baking powder
3 tabsps milk

Preheat oven to 180/350/gas 4. Grease and line 2 x 2 lb loaf tins.

Cream marg and sugar together, then add the eggs and mashed banana.

Next add the flour, baking powder and milk and fold into the creamed mixture.

Pour the mixture into the lined tins and bake in the centre of the oven for about 45 mins or until they are a light golden colour.

Turn on to a cooling rack, remove papers and leave to cool.

I like to add a handful of sunflower seeds or sultanas. Last Christmas, some people were given one of these cakes with cranberries in - that tasted lovely!


I didn't make a note of the names of the people who originally posted these recipes but I wish I could thank them because I have used them over and over in the last few years. These recipes have become family favourites and they are so easy - and tolerant too because you can change bits around, either by accident or design, and they have always turned out well. I've even forgotten the milk in the banana cake so that the mixture was too stiff and it still worked.