Yorkshire Gingerbread 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).

GINGERBREAD CAKE

Steps:

• Lightly butter a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment or wax paper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, molasses, and crystallized ginger. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
• In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Whisk the molasses mixture into the flour mixture until evenly combined.
• In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Whisk the hot water into the batter until just combined. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake in the center of the oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Cut into squares and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

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.

YORKSHIRE GINGERBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150°C.
• Cream butter and brown sugar until creamy.
• Add 1 egg at a time incorporating well.
• Sift all dry ingredients together.
• Add treacle and lemon juice to the butter/egg mix.
• Gently fold in the dry ingredients then pour into a lined 7 inch square cake tin.
• Bake for 1 hour. Cool in tin for 20 mins before turning out.
• Serve buttered.

SUPER MOIST GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Melt butter and golden syrup, set aside.
• Into a large bowl, sift flours, bi-carb of soda, ginger, cinnamon,mixed spice and sugar. Stir to combine.
• Add eggs and milk. Beat well.
• Add melted butter and syrup and mix well to combine.
• Grease and line 2 loaf tins (approx 23cm x 12 cms). Divide mix evenly between the 2 tins.
• Bake in a moderate oven (180 deg C / 350 deg F) for about 50 mins or until top is golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
• Allow to cool in the tins for 10 mins before removing.

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.

YORKSHIRE PARKIN - STICKY OATMEAL GINGERBREAD FOR BONFIRE NIGHT

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 170C/340F/Gas 3 to 4. Grease and LINE with baking paper a large roasting tin or Pyrex roasting/lasagne dish - I use a 9" by 14" glass dish for mine.
• Mix the flour, sugar, oats, ground ginger and chopped preserved ginger together in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and then add the golden syrup and treacle, warm them through but do not allow them to boil.
• Pour the butter mixture from the saucepan into the well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Drop the bicarbonate of soda on top and then sprinkle the vinegar over the soda and watch it fizz.
• Meanwhile, add the milk to the butter and treacle saucepan and heat it up gently - not TOO hot, hand hot is fine.
• Add the milk to the ginger parkin mixture and mix thoroughly. It should be a fairly loose batter. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin/tray and bake just above the middle of the pre-heated oven for 1 hour. (The parkin is cooked when it springs back when touched and is a dark brown with a sticky-ish surface.).
• Allow it to cool completely in the tin/tray, then cut into slices or chunks and store in an airtight tin for 2/3 days before eating. It can be frozen at this stage too. You can eat it straight away, but it is always better after 2 to 3 days!