November 5,

Debenham UK 1800’s to 1950’s Emily Moore

Bonfire and Parkin

November

Andover Hampshire UK 1800’s 

Parkin is traditionally served on Guy Fawkes Day in November; it is a spicy, gooey gingerbread type of cake but made with oatmeal instead of flour.  I am told this is specifically a Yorkshire Parkin recipe.

Parkin                            

1 ½ lbs. of fine oatmeal

6 ozs. Brown sugar

6 ozs. Butter or lard

½ lb. treacle, 1 oz. ginger, 1 oz. candied peel or rind of a ½ a lemon, ½ pint of milk, 1 egg, 1 ½ teaspoons of cream of tartar, 1 level teaspoon of carbonate of soda, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon if liked.  Put the meal in a basin with cream of tartar & all dry ingredients except soda, melt butter & treacle & milk warm; & when hot, mix carbonate of soda.  When it boils add to meal stirring quickly.  Bake in a slow oven, gradually. 

Meal = oatmeal

Litchfield, Staffordshire UK 1928 – 1944

Parkin        

Waverly Parkin

Ingredients: –

1 lb. Waverly oats

1 lb. syrup

½  lb. lard

½  lb. butter

¼ lb. moist brown sugar

1 oz. Keens ground ginger couple of

Method: – Melt the butter and lard with the syrup.  Add this to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Spread over a greased shallow tin (a Yorkshire pudding tin is suitable) and bake in a very slow oven for 1 ½ – 2 hours

When cooked it should be golden brown in color and slightly shrunk from sides of tin.  Leave the parkin in baking tin until firm before turning out.  Cut into squares and store in a tin.  If properly stored this parkin will keep fresh for weeks. 

A 2 inch deep and large rectangle baking pan will do fine for the baking tin. 

The syrup in these recipes is most likely Golden syrup.

It seems you can find this in stores where you can find imported foods and some Walmart’s even have it. 

This is a link from Martha Stewart that tells you what it is. 

https://www.marthastewart.com/8079251/golden-syrup-explained-how-use-it?

I have gotten the answer for the mixed spice, what is sold in the stores is this blend; cinnamon, coriander (???) wow I never would have guessed that! caraway (another I would not have guessed!), nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.  Another answer is Pumpkin spice mix with some added mace would be a good substitute.  This mix has also been suggested;

1 tablespoon quality ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoons ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon ground mace

Mix all well. Use as needed.

Moist sugar is not what we know as “white sugar” today.  According to the Oxford Dictionary, moist sugar is “Unrefined or partially refined sugar.” And originated in the early 17th century.  Most of the websites I looked at say that it gives the baked goods a lighter and fluffier texture to them. 

And from another website it is;

“White moist sugar is a sugar paste you can buy for baking with. Regular white granulated sugar is a very dry sugar, and when you bake with it- cakes etc rise a lot. Brown sugar has a much higher moisture content, and results in a denser cake texture. Moist white sugar is not as sweet as brown sugar, but keeps the properties of brown sugar- with a denser lower rise in cakes and puddings- alongside a lighter color.

It’s not all to do with taste- the texture baking with moist sugar creates- is, from a baking perspective, far more important than the taste/flavor of the sugar.”

https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/moist_sugar

https://www.quora.com/What-is-white-moist-sugar

https://www.finecooking.com/article/how-is-sugar-wet

Oven temperatures are seldom given in the old books and recipes; most times the only say something like a slow oven or quick oven.  These are the equlivent to today’s oven temperatures;

A very slow oven equals 250 to 275 degrees.

A slow oven equals 300 to 325 degrees.

A moderate oven equals 350 to 375 degrees.

A hot or quick oven equals 375 to 400 degrees.

A very hot oven equals 400 to 450 degrees. 

Visit my ebay store to find some great kitchen utensils and collectables to go along with these vintage and antique recipes.

https://www.ebay.com/str/ozziesattic720?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

Also visit my etsy shops for more handmade in Wrenflair, Vintage and collectable items in RetroVintiques.

https://www.etsy.com/at/shop/wrenflair?

https://www.etsy.com/shop/retrovintiques?

RetroVintiques for Retro, Vintage and Antique collectables!