Domesticity

[lnr]

Two different sorts:

First having Mike around for a couple of days and now having rjk back. Nice to have people round the house. I was so tired by Thursday this week that I booked Friday off work, which meant I didn't have to get up quite so painfully early as usual, which was rather pleasant.

Second: cooking. Parkin is in the oven, toffee is cooling. Kitchen is no longer *complete* bombsite, there's just lots of washing up. I had a mad dash to the shops to buy eggs partway through, leaving the boiling sugar turned right down. Bit risky but no harm done apparently, and I bought more self-raising flour and demerara sugar while I was there. And I have a small very pink patch on one finger where a drop of toffee landed on it while I was tipping it into the tin to cool. Ouch. Still, a rather successful case of following two recipes in parallel. I look forward to the results. But of course it being parkin I have to wait a week to eat it.

Edit: parkin safely out of oven and cooling, looking good. Toffee set. Anyone any clues how the hell to get it out of the tin? Well, technically not a tin, went for one of the square le creuset dishes.

Comments

[mst3kgirl.livejournal.com]

forgive my ignorance - but what is Parkin?

[lnr]

It's a sort of gingerbread really, but made with oatmeal as well as flour, and with treacle. Dark and sticky and traditionally eaten around bonfire night in the north of england. Recipe I used is here.

[mst3kgirl.livejournal.com]

oh, thanks! I'll hae to see if mtbc100 would like to try and make some for our bonfire night...

[mtbc100.livejournal.com]

I'd be glad for us to have some. We may have to get some imported treacle.

[lnr]

The recipe in the second link Sion posted is more aimed at an American audience and suggests dark molasses, which I've always gathered was probably more or less the same thing.

Traditionally you would store it in a wooden box and keep for a week before eating, though neither of those recipes says so. I just keep in an airtight plastic tub instead, not having a suitable wooden box :-)

[juggzy.livejournal.com]

Molasses is more malty than dark treacle. Mmm, more ovaltiny, if that makes sense.

[sparrowsion]

Somewhere in south-east Arkansas. (What would be the American term for a settlement with a population of < 2000?) A more helpful answer may be found at the Catholic Culture website.

[beckyc.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm parkin...