Influenced by: The Mistress of Spices
This recipe brings together my Yorkshire roots and happy memories of India. Parkin is a moist, spicy gingerbread traditionally eaten on Bonfire Night (5th November), but can be eaten on any winter evening to spice up your Bollywood nights. You can leave out the oats and that will make it a Lancashire Parkin (we may forgive you)
Ingredients
YORKSHIRE PARKIN
Serves 8
8 oz/250 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
230 g medium oatmeal
170 g black treacle
4 oz/115 g butter
6 oz170 g brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 pint/230 ml milk
I like to add a teaspoon of ground cloves or allspice to give it an extra kick
WHISKY CARAMEL SAUCE
8 oz/250 g caster sugar
1/2 pint/230 ml double cream
2 oz/50 g unsalted butter
3-4 tsp Indian single malt whisky*
1-2 tsp flaked sea salt
*I recommend Rampur single malt whisky but any single malt with caramel/fruit notes will do.
Heat oven to 180C
Grease and line a 23 cm square cake tin
Sieve flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl and stir in the oatmeal. Put the treacle, butter and brown sugar into a pan over a low heat, stirring until butter has just melted. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and gradually add the treacle mixture. Add milk followed by egg and beat until smooth. Pour into the tin and place in oven for approx. 1 hour. Cool slightly and then turn onto a wire rack before cutting into squares.
This recipe is best made two days ahead to allow it to become moist and sticky.
For the whisky sauce
Place the sugar in a non-stick fry pan and heat until it turns into a golden caramel. Meanwhile in a separate pan warm the butter and cream.
Add the cream mixture into the caramel and whisk. Be careful as the caramel will bubble ferociously. Mix in the whisky and salt and leave to cool.
Serve the Yorkshire Parkin with lashings of whisky caramel sauce and a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream.
Brilliant!
