Parkin

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Parkin is a typical Yorkshire cake and this is an old recipe. It does worry about calories! It is usually quite moist, a sponge with a sweet gingery taste, made with treacle and oatmeal and usually with a really soft, moist & sticky top to it. Ideally it needs wrapping up and storing for a week before eating. This can be a real challenge.

Ingredients
4oz plain flour
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 heaped teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2lb fine or medium oatmeal
3oz butter or margarine
1/2lb black treacle
1/2 lb soft brown sugar
1 egg
5 tbsp. milk

Method
Soft the flour with the bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl.
Stir in the oatmeal.
Melt the butter/marg in a pan with the treacle and sugar. Keep the heat low.
Beat the egg with the milk and keep handy.
Hollow out the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the treacle mixture, now add the milk mixture as well.
Using a wooden spoon, beat into a smooth batter, gradually drawing in the flour from the basin sides.
Pour the batter into a greased square/rectangular tin. It should be no more than an inch deep.
Bake at a low temperature (325F or Gas 2) for 30-35 minutes or until firm.
Leave in the tin until cold then wrap up for a week airtight.
Cut into squares about 1.5inch by 1.5inches and enjoy.
 
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Wow, one week before eating? Why is that exactly? What happens if the cake is eaten before that period of time? Just curious, this sounds like an interesting cake, would love to see a picture? I'll see if I can find one on google, never heard of a cake who got better and better if you let it sit in the fridge for days :O
 
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No need for a fridge, just wrap it up air tight and leave it in a cupboard. In fact a fridge will prevent the flavours developing and stop the development of the top going goey and sticky as it should be.

YorkShireParkin.jpg

This is a wiki picture of Yorkshire Parkin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkin_(cake)

Fruit cakes also are best left to stand and let the flavours mature. I usually make my Christmas cake in October, for eating in December if we remember! Often we are still eating it in April or May.
 
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Wow.... the more you know!!!!! Hehehehe, thanks, now I know another side of baking, a side I wasn't familiar with. So you put it in a special container? I can imagine how something like this would be covered in ants in my house if not protected correctly. Those pesky things have already ruined some pies in the past :( But woah.... fruit cake made in October and eaten in December, you guys must be really patient folks!
 
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So you put it in a special container?
not really. I just wrap it in grease proof paper and then in tin foil so that it is airtight.

But woah.... fruit cake made in October and eaten in December, you guys must be really patient folks!

As for the cake - well the Christmas cake is a special one, and it gets hidden away out of sight and Christmas reminds us about it. Somethings are worth waiting for and my Christmas cake is most certainly one of them.
 

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