Richly Spiced Bonfire Night Parkin

Parkin is not just for Bonfire Night, of course, but there's nothing like munching on a square of this treacly and slightly chewy cake while watching the fireworks! Wrap into greaseproof parcels and hand out with mugs of steaming hot chocolate.

Ingredients

• 200 g butter
• 1 large free range egg
• 5 tbsp milk
• 100 g treacle
• 85 g light soft brown sugar
• 100 g porridge oats
• 250 g self-raising flour
• 1 rounded tbsp mixture of ground ginger, mixed spice and cinammon, to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line a 22cm/9in square cake tin (or oblong equivalent - a roasting tin is fine) with non-stick foil or baking parchment.
2. If using tins, warm the treacle and syrup tins in a bowl of hot water to make it more pourable, then pop the treacle, syrup, sugar and butter in a large pan and melt until the sugar dissolves (if the pan is oven-proof, just pop it in the oven while it pre-heats).
3. Meanwhile, break the egg into a small bowl, add the milk and beat together with a fork.
4. In a larger bowl, mix together the oatmeal, flour and spices.
5. Remove the pan from the heat then add the flour mixture, giving it all a good stir, and finally add the egg and milk, stirring again so it's all combined.
6. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in the centre of the oven until it feels firm - this will take around an hour, but check it after about 50 minutes. It will set as it cools, so don't be tempted to over-cook, or it will dry out.
7. Cool in the tin, then cut into squares. You can enjoy it straightaway, maybe still slightly warm (good with custard as a dessert), or wrap it up and store in an airtight tin for a few days to mature. It keeps for a couple of weeks, so no rush.