Ginger Parkin Food

YORKSHIRE PARKIN

Steps:

• Generously grease an 8x8 inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place the medium oatmeal in a large bowl along with the flour, spices, salt and baking powder.
• In a medium saucepan add the brown sugar, black treacle, golden syrup, butter and lard (if using). Heat the mixture until the sugar is melted (don't boil it) and remove from the heat. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
• Pour the hot mixture into the dry mixture and stir well to combine. Add the candied ginger, egg and milk and stir well to combine. The batter will be liquid and sticky.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. The cake should be fairly firm but springy. Let the cake cool in the pan. Invert the cake onto a platter. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the parkin into squares.Place the squares into an airtight container and let it sit for at least 3 days before eating. This is critical (see blog post).

PARKIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter a deep 22cm square cake tin and line with baking parchment. Beat the egg and milk together with a fork.
• Gently melt the syrup, treacle, sugar and butter together in a large pan until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Mix together the oatmeal, flour and ginger and stir into the syrup mixture, followed by the egg and milk.
• Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50 mins - 1 hr until the cake feels firm and a little crusty on top. Cool in the tin then wrap in more parchment and foil. Keep for up to five days before eating if you can - it'll become softer and stickier the longer you leave it, up to two weeks.

THE PERFECT TRADITIONAL YORKSHIRE PARKIN

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 275 F / 140 C / Gas Mark 1. Grease an 8 x 8-inch square cake tin.
• In a large, heavy-based saucepan, melt together the butter, golden syrup, brown sugar, and treacle over a gentle heat. Do not allow the mixture to boil; you simply need to melt them together.
• In a large, spacious baking bowl, stir together the flour, oatmeal, ginger, nutmeg, mixed spice, and baking powder.
• Gradually add the melted butter mixture, stirring to coat all the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• Gradually beat in the eggs a few tablespoons at a time.
• Add a tablespoon of milk at a time if the mixture feels dry. You are looking for a soft cake batter. Stir well.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and cook for 1 1/2 hours, until firm, set, and a dark golden brown.
• Remove the parkin from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
• Once cool, slice and store the parkin in an airtight tin for a minimum of three days for the best flavor.
• Serve and enjoy.

FRESH GINGER PARKIN (DEEP, SPICY, STICKY CAKE FROM NW ENGLAND)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 140°C.
• Grease (I use butter) and line with baking parchment an 8 x 8inch square baking tin.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, salt and ground spices together. Add oatmeal then mix to thoroughly combine. Make a well in the center and set aside.
• In a heavy bottomed saucepan, melt butter, sugar, treacle and syrup on a medium to low heat. Stir to combine here and there. Do not allow the mixture to boil!
• Once the mixture is deep and golden in appearance grate in the fresh ginger and lemon zest. Mix together, take off the heat and set aside.
• In a small dish lightly whisk the eggs together.
• Pour the melted butter mixture into the flour etc and beat to combine.
• Beat in the eggs in two steps followed by the milk and finally vanilla extract.
• Pour into the baking tin and bake for 1 hr 30 minutes. ( Although I use an oven thermometer, I check at 1 hr 20mins as my fan assisted oven is kinda keen).
• Allow to cool in tin for 15 mins then transfer to a cooling rack.
• DIFFICULT BIT. This is one of those cakes that tastes waaaaay better days after it has been made. So once completely cooled down, allow this to do its thing wrapped in parchment, then foil, and allow to sit untouched for three (yes 3!) days.

STICKY GINGER SKILLET PARKIN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Put a heavy-bottomed 25cm ovenproof frying pan or skillet over a low heat and gently melt the butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup together, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the butter is just melted and everything is combined. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly for 5-10 mins.
• Sieve the flour and spices together, then mix in the oats. Whisk the eggs, milk, stem ginger and ginger syrup together in a bowl or jug. Stir the dry ingredients into the cooled butter mixture until well combined. Stir in the ginger, milk and egg mixture until you have a thick cake batter. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45-50 mins until firm and risen. Serve scooped from the pan with extra ginger syrup and custard or ice cream, if you like, or leave to cool and eat cold. Will keep, wrapped in baking parchment, for up to seven days. TWIST ITRum & raisin parkinPour rum over a handful of raisins and leave to soak overnight. Mix most into the batter, then serve with with extra raisins scattered over. Sticky pear & parkin sundaes Pile cubes of parkin into glasses with a chopped canned pear, toffee ice cream and some ginger syrup mixed with whisky. Top with toasted pecans. Caramelised banana, parkin & custardFry a sliced banana in butter until golden, add a drizzle of golden syrup and carefully toss. Serve over parkin with thick custard.

BANANA GINGER PARKIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160/325/Gas 3.Grease and line an 18 x 28cm cake tin (7 x 11").
• Sift together the flour,bicarb of soda and ginger,then stir in the oatmeal.Melt the sugar,margarine and syrup in a saucepan,then stir into the flour mixture.Beat in the egg and mashed bananas.
• Spoon into the tin and bake for about 1 hour or until firm to the touch.Cool in the tin,turn out and cut into squares.
• Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in just enough water to make a smooth,runny icing.Drizzle the icing over each square.

GINGER PUMPKIN CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the pumpkin, corn syrup, molasses and orange zest until blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt; add to pumpkin mixture, beating on low speed just until moistened., Pour mixture into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream if desired.