Parkin is a traditional bonfire night treat in Lancashire and this recipe unlike quite a lot of other recipes this immediately has that essential sticky quality that a good parkin needs, easily made gluten free this is also an ideal treat for those unexpected trick or treaters on Halloween.
Featuring a warming mixture of spices and lots of lovely treacly flavours and its flavor improves even further with keeping.
What you need
- 125g butter or quality margarine
- 125g dark brown sugar
- 220g treacle
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 150g plain flour (gluten free works fine)
- 2 heaped tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp of freshly ground nutmeg
- Good pinch of ground cloves
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 200g oatmeal (fine or medium - ensure gluten free if necessary)
- 60ml of skimmed milk
- 9" by 9" square tin, lined with baking parchment
What you do
- Preheat your oven to 150c (fan) or 170c (std oven)
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter, sugar and treacle, once melted add the bicarbonate of soda and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large baking bowl, place the flour, Ginger, nutmeg, cloves,oatmeal and baking powder. Mix well together and then add the melted treacle mixture
- Stir together and add the milk, mix until you have a very loose liquid cake batter.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 50 minutes or so until a cocktail stick comes out of the cake clean.
- Cool in the tin until its safe to handle (normally about 30 mins) and then cool fully on a wire rack
- Cut into squares to serve, stores well wrapped in an airtight tin.
