Parkin

Does anyone have the origional recipe for "Sticky Parkin" that we used to have on bonfire night,(not using rolled oats.) Along with Treacle toffee, or any other old time recipes.
Fred

Hello Fred, try these two recipes for Parkin. Remember to leave them in a tin for a couple of days to go all sticky.

Parkin: 1
Ingredients:
1 lb S.R. flour
pinch of salt
2 teaspoonfuls ground ginger
8 oz caster sugar
2 oz margarine
8 oz treacle
one egg beaten with one gill of milk.

Method:
Mix together thoroughly flour, salt, ginger and sugar.
Warm margarine and treacle and beat together.
Add to the margarine and treacle, the dry ingredients and the beaten egg and milk, alternately, a little at a time.
Mix thoroughly.
Pour into a greased, shallow dripping tin.
Cut into squares when baked.

Baking time:
One and a half hours in a moderate oven(180 C, 350 F, regulo 4).



Parkin: 2
Ingredients:
1 lb treacle
1 1/4 lbs flour
5 oz dripping or margarine
6 oz moist sugar
1/2 pint milk
2 teaspoonfuls ground ginger.

Method:
Rub the grease into the flour.
Add the sugar and slowly mix in the slightly heated treacle.
Add the ginger and milk.
Pour into a shallow tin.

Baking time:
One and a half hours in a fairly slow oven. 120 C, 250 F, regulo 1/2.

And here's one for treacle toffee Fred.

Treacle Toffee
6 tablespoons of sugar
4oz of butter
3 dessert spoons of milk
3 dessertspoons of treacle
a little vinegar
Boil gently for approx 20 minutes or until a little dropped into cold water forms a ball. (Be very careful when boiling as it can soon boil over and easily burns.)
Pour into a small baking tray to set.

Try this one if you prefer a creamy toffee.

1lb (450g) Demerara sugar
8oz (225g) Treacle
12oz (350g) Unsalted butter
5oz (145ml Single cream
2 tablespoons water
Pinch of Cream of Tarter

Put water into a pan and add the sugar, treacle and a little of the butter. Heat very slowly so as not to burn the mixture. Thinly slice the rest of the butter and add gradually along with the cream of tartar, bring to a boil. Test a small quantity by dropping it into cold water, when it forms into a hard lump it is ready. Allow to cool down, but before it sets stir in the cream and then pour mixture into a well greased tin. break up when set.

Also if you like ginger fred try these Ormskirk Brandy Snaps.

2oz (50g) Plain flour
3oz (75g) Caster sugar
3oz (75g) Golden syrup
1 teaspoon Brandy
2oz (50g) Best butter
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Grease two baking sheets. Sift the flour and ginger. Gently melt the butter, sugar golden syrup in a pan, take off the heat and stir in all the other ingredients. Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture on the baking sheets allowing room for them to spread. Bake for 10 minutes at 180c, 350f, regulo 4 at the top of the oven until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly then loosen them off the baking sheet and whilst still malleable, curl them around the greased handle of a wooden spoon and let them set in the traditional curled shape.

Just watch your weight Fred

ayrefield
Thanks for taking the trouble for sending me the recipe's, I will be giving them a try,
I have made Parkin in the past but have lost the old original recipe, all the recipe's in the cook books include rolled oats, I have found using them makes the parkin on the dry side. As you say it needs keeping in an air tight tin for at least a week, so that it moistens and becomes Sticky, my Grand Daughter loves it and she keeps asking me "when am I making some"
Thanks again ayrefield

Rossy, I have decided it is to late to watch my weight, I have reached my ripe old age and not had to worry about it, so I am not starting now just in the hope of adding one more day. I hope Mary is feeling better.
Fred

Hi ayrefield.
Made parkin number one today, seems the one I was looking for, now I have to wait for it to moisten and go sticky, I cut a piece off and the taste is right. Thanks, will try the toffee next.
Fred.

Glad you like it fred, by the way Sophie Grigson says for an added spiciness to parkin or even ginger cake try adding to the dry mix four pieces of chopped stem ginger (the one that is preserved in syrup) and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Regards, Cyril. (ayrefield)

hi ayrefied.ijust copied all your recipes.they sound very good.i will try them,thanks

ayrefield. Thanks for that tip from your friend, always looking for ways to improve any recipe, hoping to give the "natives" a taste of Parkin next week, its my turn to provide super at the card school I play at every Thursday.
Fred.

A 1907 Recipe for Parkin
Ingredients
12 oz (125g) plain flour
3½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of salt
4 oz (125g) medium oatmeal
4 oz (125g) of softened unsalted butter
4 oz (125g) soft brown sugar
4 oz (125g) treacle
3 oz (90g) golden syrup
2 oz (60g) milk
2 oz (60g) mixed peel, finely chopped
Zest of ½ lemon

Method
Butter a deep 8” (20cm) square cake tin and line the base with non-stick baking parchment and heat oven to 180C or 160C fan oven, 350F, Gas 4. Sift the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl, then stir in the oatmeal. In another bowl beat the butter, sugar and zest until light and fluffy. Add the treacle and syrup and beat again until creamy and smooth, then add the milk and dry ingredients and beat quickly until smooth once more. Fold in the mixed peel then spoon the mixture into the tin. Cover the top with foil and bake for 40 minutes then remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

ayrefield.
Thanks for that.
Fred

By, ek airfield do you like a bit ov parkin....
Gee's didnt no there was so many kinds
All these recipies av geet mi moufh waterin tho.. but i'll afto settle for a ginger bickie. ugh

Be careful with all that parkin ayrefield, the Traffic Exchequers will be "sticking" a ticket on you.

I made a Parkin just over a week ago, as I told you ayrefield, from your first recipe. I wrapped it in Glad Wrap until today, then as it was my turn to supply supper at the card school that I play with every Thursday, I took it along, nobody had heard of it before but once they had tasted it, they soon scoffed the lot. I now have to print the recipe out for all the Ladies, also for the scones I made and took along, these I used Lemonade and cream instead of water, they turned out great, bigger and lighter, they soon went also.
Thanks again ayrefield.
Fred.

Glad your card school liked your parkin fred, if I get around to making some scones I'll have to remember your tip about lemonade and cream. Schweppes do a really nice tasting lemonade using real lemons with a hint of lime, Schweppes 1783 Classic Lemonade.