Grandma's Bonfire Parkin
Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated in Great Britain on November 5. It's a tradition where they remember the failed attempt by a group of disgruntled Catholic conspirators to blow up Parliament and King James I with it. (See more about Guy Fawkes Night a.k.a. Bonfire Night in Friday's post.)
I was given this Bonfire Parkin recipe, which is traditional in Yorkshire, by an honest-to-goodness native of Britain. I thought I would share the recipe with you. It has a very nice, strong ginger flavor and mine turned out more like a hearty bar than a cake. They are excellent with a cup of strong coffee and cream. (Sorry, tea is good, but I must break with the British here.)
Grandma's Bonfire Parkin
My friend listed amounts in grams. I weighed them, then converted them to cups. I'm giving you both.
Tin - 7 inches square cake tin lined with non-stick paper, Oven at 325 degrees F.
4 oz. (3/4 c.) Self-rising flour
4 t. powdered ginger
pinch of salt
8 oz. (2 1/2 c.) porridge oatmeal (rolled oats, not steel-cut)
2 oz. (1/8 c.) butter
4 oz. (1/2 c.) Golden Syrup (light corn syrup)
4 oz. (1/2 c.) Black Treacle (I used dark, unsulphured molasses) I can't hear the word 'treacle' without thinking of Bertie Wooster and his attempt to steal a painting for Aunt Dahlia! (see YouTube below)
4 oz. (7/8 c.) soft dark brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
Mix all dry ingredients.
Melt butter, sugar, syrup, and treacle very gently in saucepan, stirring all the time until just melted together. DON'T let it get hot. (I melted the butter first, then dissolved the brown sugar in it, then added the syrups). Add to dry ingredients and stir well.
Add beaten egg, and a little milk if needed.
Pour into tin and bake until golden brown and firm to touch. Mine was done at 45 minutes.
Leave to cool, then cut into squares. It's nicer if after cutting it's left in a tin for a couple days.
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My husband's reaction was hilarious when he first tasted it, but I think it grew on him. He kept coming back for more. :-) It was his idea to serve it with strong coffee and cream. And he was right! It is definitely for those who enjoy strong flavors, which I do.
This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays
and Tasty Tuesdays
and Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods
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And just in case you're interested in watching the YouTube offering I mentioned,
