How To Make Parkin

Hello! :D This is SilverDawn here to post on parkin! You're unlikely (lol! :3) to know what parkin is ;) It's this:

A traditional cake from Yorkshire (in the North of England). It's moist and sticky, really delicious!

INGREDIENTS

(serves 16 - or four if you want it to last a long time)

• 220g soft butter
• 220g soft dark brown sugar
• 140g black treacle
• 390g golden syrup
• 445g medium oats
• 220 self-raising flour
• 4 tsp ground ginger (we personally don't use the ginger as our father's allergic)
• 2 tsp ground mixed ginger
• 3 medium eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp milk

METHOD

1. Grease and line a square baking tin, and ask a grown-up to preheat the oven 140C/120C fan/Gas Mark 1. 

2. Depending on your age and what you're allowed to do, a grown-up might have to do this part for you. In a pan, over a gentle heat, melt the butter, sugar, treacle, and golden syrup. Don't allow the mixture to get too hot or bubble. 

3. In a large mixing bowl sift in the dry ingredients and make a well in the middle. Gradually add the melted butter mixture and combine together. Then pour in the beaten eggs and the milk.

4. Pour into a baking tin.

 And then with the help of a grown-up bake for an hour and a half. However keep an eye on it as parkin can be very easily over-baked. (Please note that yours should be slightly darker than you can see ours in the picture; we didn't have enough treacle.)

5. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 20 minutes, before tipping it onto a cake rack and leaving to cool completely. 

6. Store the parkin wrapped in grease-proof paper in a cake tin. It must be kept for a minimum of one day and up to a week before you cut it. Leaving it to develop will give it a moist and sticky flavour, as well as making the flavour richer and deeper. 

7. Once it's ready to be eaten, slice it like bread and butter it. Delicious!

This is what it should look like. 

Ours was paler as we didn't have enough treacle. 

Good luck with your baking! :D