Parkin

• 8 oz (200g) self-raising flour, or plain flour with raising agent added
• 8 oz (200g) medium oatmeal
• 8 oz (200g) treacle or Golden Syrup
• 4 oz (100g) margarine or butter
• ¼ pint (5 fl oz / 125 ml) milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp ground ginger

1. Warm the treacle gently with the butter and milk, then stir in the dry ingredients.
2. Pour into a greased tin and bake at 160° C (325° F, Gas 3) on the middle shelf for about 1 hour, or a little longer.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with parkin, it's a type of spice cake traditionally eaten in England around Bonfire Night (5th November).

This recipe comes from my Nan, who was a great cook and an indefatigable hunter for the perfect parkin. There must be at least four different recipes for it in the handwritten exercise book she left me - this is a sort of sticky amalgam of them all.