AI-generated image
South African crunchies
Oat and coconut tray-bake squares
Golden-syrup oat and coconut tray-bake squares
Crunchies are the tray-bake South African home bakers turn to when the biscuit tin is empty: oats, coconut, flour and sugar stirred into butter melted with golden syrup, pressed into a tin and cut into squares while still warm. Unlike Australian Anzac biscuits, which are rolled into individual rounds, crunchies are baked in one slab, then sliced into chewy-centred, crisp-edged bars. They sell at school tuck shops and church bake sales, go into lunch boxes, and are a natural partner for a mug of rooibos. There is no egg in them, and they keep for a week. Chef's tip: score the squares as soon as the tin comes out of the oven and leave them to cool before lifting; waiting until the slab is cold to cut is the common mistake, and it shatters instead of slicing cleanly.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the crunchies
- 6 ½ oz rolled oats
- 3 ⅛ oz desiccated coconut
- 5 oz plain flour
- 5 ½ oz light brown sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 6 ½ oz butter
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tbsp boiling water
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Butter a 20 × 30 cm baking tin and line the base with baking paper.
Step 2: Mix 6 ½ oz rolled oats, 3 ⅛ oz desiccated coconut, 5 oz plain flour, 5 ½ oz light brown sugar and 1 pinch salt in a large bowl.
Step 3: Melt 6 ½ oz butter with 2 tbsp golden syrup in a pan over low heat, stirring, until smooth, about 3 minutes.
3 minStep 4: Dissolve 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda in 1 tbsp boiling water and stir it into the butter; it will foam up. Pour straight into the dry ingredients and mix well.
Step 5: Tip into the tin and press down firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon.
Step 6: Bake for 20–25 minutes, until evenly golden brown and bubbling at the edges; the middle will still feel soft.
25 minStep 7: Cut into 16 squares straight away while still in the tin, then leave to cool completely before lifting them out. Keep in a tin for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 215 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does south African crunchies take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of rolled oats?
- Quick oats, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
AmasiFermented milk with crumbly pap
Thick, tangy amasi was once soured in calabashes in Zulu and Xhosa homesteads, and it is still the drink-cum-meal that many South Africans crave on a hot afternoon, poured over crumbly pap as umvubo. At home it is easy and safe with pasteurised full-fat milk and a spoon of live cultured buttermilk as the starter; never use raw milk. Expect something like a pourable, sharper yoghurt with soft curds, cooling against the dry, crumbly maize. The common mistake is fermenting somewhere too warm, which makes the milk separate into watery whey and rubbery lumps. Chef's tip: once it has set, chill it for a few hours before eating; the cold firms the curd and rounds out the sourness.
Basque burnt cheesecake
This crustless cheesecake was created in the early 1990s at La Viña, a pintxos bar in the old town of San Sebastián (Donostia) in the Basque Country, and is now famous around the world. It's baked very hot so the top caramelises almost black and the sides rise and crack, while the middle stays soft and creamy, almost runny. There's no base and no water bath, and the rough, rustic look is the point: it's lined with crumpled baking paper. La Viña uses a spoonful of wheat flour; cornflour does the same job and keeps it gluten free. Chef's tip: take it out of the oven while the centre still wobbles like a soft set custard; it firms up as it cools, and if it looks set in the oven, the middle will be dry instead of creamy.
Spanish
Almond cookiesOat, coconut and almond cookies
A big batch of crunchy cookies with rolled oats, coconut, chopped almonds and chunks of cooking chocolate. For a change, use cashew nuts instead of almonds.