Tonight is Guy Fawkes Night, and what would this UK tradition be without the ‘Parkin’? For unknown reasons this sticky oat and molasses cake is inextricably linked to Guy Fawkes Night. So, rather than questioning this tradition – let’s make it!

Now – I am always attracted by ‘traditional recipes with a modern twist’ and Meera Sodha must have just heard my wishes this weekend, as she came up with this ! How could she possibly know I love Whisky and Caramel? 

If you’re abstaining from alcohol or have little ones running around who’d like a piece of cake too:

Keep it traditional

Ingredients for the Parkin:
•       100g porridge oats
•       100g wholemeal flour 
•       2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
•       4 tsp ground ginger
•       1 tsp mixed spice
•       100g sugar
•       100g blackstrap molasses (or treacle if you can’t find molasses)
•       220g lukewarm water
•       80g vegetable oil

Ingredients for the Whisky Caramel sauce:

• 150g sunflower spread
• 100ml golden syrup
• 80g soft dark brown sugar
• 1 large pinch sea salt
• 1 Tbsp bourbon whisky

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180C
2. Mix the oats, flour, baking powder, ginger and mixed spice in a bowl
3.  Gently heat the molasses and water together to appr. 35-40C, and add to dry ingredients
4. Add the oil to the mix, and stir initially with a large spoon or spatula, then with a whisk
5. Pour the mix in to a greased or lined cake tin 20cm (8” inch) 
6. Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean)
7.  Leave on a cooling rack in the tin for ten minutes and then turn out on to the cooling tray cut into squares – size the squares to your likig
8. To make the sauce, put the sunflower spread, golden syrup, sugar and salt into a small saucepan, and leave to melt over a low heat. Simmer for four to five minutes, until treacly, then take off the heat. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then stir in the whisky.
9. Prick the cake all over with a fork, cover with hot whisky caramel sauce and top with the banana coins.

Enjoy fresh, once cooled down, with a nice cuppa!
Or place the squares into a cookie tin for next couple of days. Can be frozen too.