h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Here's something else I remember eating around the bonfire - parkin, a sticky, gingery cake. The thing is, I've no idea how you make it... does anyone have any ideas?

(Okay, so this message is somewhat late for Bonfire Night '99 - but I'm starting early for next year )

Azimuth

I have made it. I have the recipe somewhere - but it may be at home. I'll look it up, but you may need to keep this thread active (ie post once a week or so) so I don't forget.

Ændr

Yorkshire Parkin.

4oz 100g butter
4oz 100g soft brown sugar
4oz 100g treacle
4oz 100g golden syrup
1 egg
1/4 pint 150ml milk
8oz 225g plain flour
1/2 level teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 level teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
8oz 225g oatmeal
Rectangular baking tin about 11x7inches 28x18cm.

Preheat oven to 180C or 350F or Gas Mark 4.
Put the butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup in a pan and melt over a low heat until the sugar is just dissolved. Alllow to cool slightly. Beat the egg well with half of the milk and stir into the syrup mixture. Sieve the flour, ginger and mixed spice into a mixing bowl and stir in the oatmeal. Pour the syrup mixture in to the dry ingredients. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in tthe rest of the milk and add to the rest of the mixture. Mix well together. Pour into the greased baking tin. Bake for 1 hour in the centre of the oven or until firm. Allow to cool before removing from tin. When cold cut into squares.

For a richer darker cake, use all treacle instead of treacle and golden syrup. Conversely use all golden syrup for a lighter cake.

okay, so you don't need to "activate" this thread, cos I found it here in Oxford, rahter than at home...

for a more gingery taste - add more ginger!

Brilliant - thank you! I'll give it a try this weekend

All the best,
Azimuth

well, you'd hardly expect h2g2's resident cake baker not to help out once she'd found your need!
hope the recipe goes well, as I recall, it is not the easiest thing to do, so try again if it doesn't work too well the first time...

Well, I've got a slab of freshly-made parkin cooling off downstairs, and it's looking good! I'll let you know what it tastes like as soon as my willpower gives in... Thanks very much for your help!

All the best,
Azimuth

Not bad - not bad at all! I'm still getting used to the fan oven here, so the parkin could have been a little more moist, but it's darn tasty, and just perfect with a nice cup of tea...

Any more recipes you'd recommend?

Azimuth

loads
like gingercake and chocolate cake and crackerjack and chocolate bread (recipe floating around on a forum somewhere)

fan oven:
reduce time for any recipe 30 mins or over by 5 mins; so 30 mins -> 25, 45 mins -> 40,... 60 mins -> 50 etc
20 mins -> 17, 15 mins -> 13, just keep an eye on the food for any shorter times. check cheese and eggs are properly cooked and note that some ovenwear need longer times

AND reduce temperature by 5-10 degrees for all temperatures above conventional 160C
180->170, 190->180, 200-> 190 etc

( i was brought up with a fan oven)

Originally I am from Yorkshire. Nobody made Parkin like my Grandma. Lokking at thr recipe as already posted it looks to be the same recipe. My Grandma used to cook her Parkin on an old fashion range, where the heat from the fire in the kitchen heated the ovens, I suppose the Arga would be equivilant today.
This year I bought a slab of Parkin from Asda, the taste was good though a little dry.
Incidentally Guy Fauwks was educated in an area of york and on bonfire night they do not have a guy to burn because they don't burn an "old boy"

not a guy fawkes, but hey, what's a forum for but to go off track asap

no, I'm going to have recipes on my homepage...

you asked...
http://www.h2g2.com/forumframe.cgi?thread=43658&forum=24700