Chocolate Chilli Flapjacks

Chocolate and chilli are the perfect combination for almost any occasion. Add a couple of squares of dark chocolate to a stew with a few chilli seeds and your friends will be asking for the recipe from the first mouthful. Chocolate adds a richness and depth of flavour that you can't get any other way. Don't overdo it though - there is a story about Steve and Cinnamon that is a lesson to us all!

These flapjacks are adapted from a recipe in an ancient Marks and Spencers cook book - to be clear, M&S go as far as using desiccated coconut as an ingredient - the chocolate and chilli is all my own.

I recommend Green and Black's Maya Gold chocolate as that is really special! But any dark chocolate will do - don't use milk as it will be too sickly with the sweetness of the flapjack.

100g demerara sugar
100g butter
3 tbsps golden syrup
175g porridge oats
40g dark chocolate, broken up very small
1 red birdseye chilli, chopped really small (if you use other chillis you may need to experiment a bit, but make sure it is really finely chopped)
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg

Mix oats, chocolate, chilli, baking powder. Add the egg, lightly beaten.
Gently heat sugar, butter and syrup in a pan until just melted.
Mix everything together - the heat will melt the chocolate.
Pour into a 20cm square brownie pan (this should be well greased and lined with greaseproof paper).
Cook for 20-30 minutes at 180 degrees until firm to the touch.
Leave to cool for a few minutes then cut into squares whilst still in the pan. Leave in the pan until totally cool to prevent the flapjacks from crumbling.

Eat with a big smile on your face.