Parkin is traditional Autumn fodder in the North of England. There’s the biscuit-y kind and the sponge-cake-y kind and many different variations of the recipe for it. Predominantly hailing from West Yorkshire and Lancashire it is traditionally eaten on Bonfire night, but I tend to shove it in my face for most of autumn!
This recipe is a gluten free variation on my family’s recipe that my Mum always used to make, apparently it was also one of the only things her own mother could make without cocking it up! It makes a deliciously sticky spiced sponge that I would describe as ‘claggy’ (in a good way!) This is a comforting recipe that always reminds me of my childhood and home.
It can be made using either golden syrup or black treacle. I’ve made it with black treacle here as unlike golden syrup, it contains bonus minerals and vitamins such as iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium, which is pretty awesome! It’s a very forgiving recipe, I’ve made it with either butter or marg, cow’s milk or coconut, it all turns out tasty! I’ve even made it measuring the ‘cups’ using a coffee mug in a time before I owned actual measuring cups!
Delicious straight from the oven, it’s also great the next day cold or warmed up and served with custard like a sponge pudding.
Gluten Free Yorkshire Parkin Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups gluten free Self Raising flour (I used Doves Farm)
- 1 cup sugar (white or brown, it’s up to you!)
- 3 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of either black treacle OR golden syrup
- 4oz butter or marg (for a dairy free version I’ve used the baking Stork in the foil packet and that worked well)
- 1 + 1/4 cup boiling milk
Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 350F/180C (160 fan)/GM4
2) Put the flour, sugar, bicarb, xanthan gum & ginger in the bowl and mix.
3) Add the butter or marg in lumps on top on like this:
4) Then add your treacle or golden syrup and egg on top.
5) Boil your milk and pour it over the top, mixing everything together quickly so the hot milk melts the butter lumps and treacle and mix until smooth (or until you think ‘sod it, that’ll do!’)
6) Pour in to a brownie pan, baking tray or in my case here it’s a pyrex roasting dish of some sort(!) and smooth out. (Actually I should point out that it might be a wise idea to line it with baking paper first!)
7) Bake for 30 minutes until it is golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. Then slice up as desired and try not to eat it all at once!
If this doesn’t tickle your taste buds why not try my Carrot Cake Traybake Recipe (gf, df)
