Norfolk Chocolate Oat Crunchies with Pink Custard

Chocolate oat crunchies have been enjoyed by many children in schools around the county for decades. This chocolatey, crumbly, sweet traybake is known by several names, including chocolate oaties and chocolate crunch slices, and has been a school dinner favourite of many across Norfolk. Often served with pink custard or chocolate sauce in schools, they are great with any accompaniment or just as good served on their own. If you would like to recreate these at home, here is a recipe for you to try.

Chocolate Oat Crunchies Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 250g unsalted butter
2. 150g caster sugar
3. 175g oats
4. 1tbsp golden syrup
5. 150g self raising flour
6. 20g cocoa powder

For the topping

1. 55g unsalted butter
2. 3tbsp milk
3. 15g cocoa powder
4. 200g icing sugar

Method

Heat oven to gas mark 4, 350°F, 180°C, 160°C Fan. Grease a baking tin approximately 20cm x 15cm.

Gently melt the butter in a large pan and add the syrup and stir. Add the sugar, oats, flour and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Press evenly into your prepared tin, levelling the top with the back of a spoon. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes until firm and slightly risen. Allow to cool in the tin.

To make the topping, melt the butter and stir in the milk. Sieve the icing sugar and cocoa into a large bowl and pour in the melted butter mixture. Whizz with an electric hand whisk until smooth. Spread the topping over the cooled traybake and refrigerate until set. Cut into slices.

If you would like to recreate the pink custard too - here is a recipe for you to try…….

Pink Custard Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 1 pint milk
2. 1 packet of strawberry or raspberry blancmange mix
3. 2 tbs sugar

Method

In a bowl, empty the contents of the blancmange packet and add the sugar and 3 tbsp from the pint of milk. Mix to a paste. In a pan, warm the remaining milk until hot, but do not boil. Slowly mix the hot milk into the paste until smooth. Transfer back to the pan and heat gently, stirring continuously and bring to the boil and simmer gently for a couple of minutes until smooth and thickened. If the sauce is too thick, more milk can be added to thin it down.

Serve with your homemade chocolate oat crunchies for a nostalgic and satisfying dessert.