Traditional Oatmeal Parkin

But which tradition is it? My grandparents claimed Yorkshire emphatically, while my Lancashire friends are just as emphatic. Either way I just love it, and because it’s so easy to make, if you haven’t yet tasted parkin I urge you to try it. Its virtue is it keeps well and goes on getting stickier.

We use a pleated silicone liner in the tin, which helps keep the moisture in during storage.

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This recipe is from Delia's Cakes

Method

To weigh syrup and treacle, it helps to place the opened tins in a pan of barely simmering water for 5 minutes to make them easier to pour. Then weigh a saucepan on the scales, and weigh the syrup and treacle into it.

Now add the butter and the sugar to the saucepan and place it over a gentle heat until the butter has melted – don’t go away and leave it unattended, because for this you don’t want it to boil.

Meanwhile measure the oatmeal, flour and ginger into a mixing bowl, add a pinch of salt, then gradually stir in the warmed syrup mixture till everything is thoroughly blended. Next add the beaten egg and, lastly, the milk.

Now pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake near the centre shelf of the oven for 1½ hours.

Then cool the parkin in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out.

Don’t worry if it sinks slightly in the middle – this is quite normal.

When it’s completely cold, store in an airtight tin.