• Make the basic recipe first, and then play with it once you have an idea of how the mixture should feel. It will not be as stiff as normal cake mixture, and may seem quite runny.
• I prefer salted butter. If you use unsalted, you might want to add a pinch of salt to the dry ingredients.
• You need a total of 125g golden syrup and treacle. The proportions are up to you. I prefer to make it with more treacle and less syrup because I like the slightly burnt ‘edge’ this gives.
• You may prefer dark muscovado sugar to dark soft brown. Muscovado retains the molasses so the flavour will be more treacley. However it’s also a bit more moist. Make the base recipe first before experimenting.
• Isobel would have used Allinson’s flour. I have also tried it with gluten-free self-raising flour and it works pretty well.
• Most parkin recipes (and I have looked at a lot of them) ask for a miserly amount of ground ginger. I add at least 2 teaspoons, sometimes more, but I’ve only used 1 teaspoon in this foundation recipe.
• I like nutmeg in my parkin. if you don’t like it just leave it out. Play with the spices to make the parkin your own.
• If you want to make a double quantity, I would use two loaf tins rather than one 20cm square tin. Parkin can be quite reluctant to rise in a square tin, I find. And making a smaller quantity means it’s more fun (and less of a commitment) to play with the balance of spices.
• This is what you might call a foundation recipe. Please experiment. Add sultanas or crystallised ginger. Vary the spices and try a different syrup-to-treacle ratio. Make it your own.
• The crucial thing to remember is that parkin is much better after being stored for five days in an airtight tin. It becomes gloriously sticky, and even more of a useful conversation stopper. If you can keep it for ten days, even better. It’s also very, very good with a chunk of strong cheddar cheese.
• If you do make it, please let me know. You can tag me on Instagram @nataliesfergie and post a photo, or just email me at [email protected]. I’d love to know how you get on. And if you have a family recipe to share, please tell me about it.

Happy Parkin Production,

Natalie

Acknowledgements

There is more than one Ann in this book. Woven beneath the narrative is the support and encouragement of my friend Ann Carrier. She is my sounding board and my research buddy, and this book would not exist without her.