0 Sticky parkin - ideal for halloween or a traditional bonfire night treat

Parkin is a traditional bonfire night treat in Lancashire and this recipe unlike quite a lot of other recipes this immediately has that essential sticky quality that a good parkin needs, easily made gluten free this is also an ideal treat for those unexpected trick or treaters on Halloween.

Featuring a warming mixture of spices and lots of lovely treacly flavours and its flavour improves even further with keeping.

What you need

• 125g butter or quality margarine
• 125g dark brown sugar
• 220g treacle
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 150g plain flour (gluten free works fine)
• 2 heaped tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp of freshly ground nutmeg
• Good pinch of ground cloves
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 200g oatmeal (fine or medium - ensure gluten free if necessary)
• 60ml of skimmed milk
• 9" by 9" square tin, lined with baking parchment

What you do

• Preheat your oven to 150c (fan) or 170c (std oven)
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter, sugar and treacle, once melted add the bicarbonate of soda and allow to cool slightly.
• In a large baking bowl, place the flour, Ginger, nutmeg, cloves,oatmeal and baking powder. Mix well together and then add the melted treacle mixture
• Stir together and add the milk, mix until you have a very loose liquid cake batter.
• Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 50 minutes or so until a cocktail stick comes out of the cake clean.
• Cool in the tin until its safe to handle (normally about 30 mins) and then cool fully on a wire rack
• Cut into squares to serve, stores well wrapped in an airtight tin.

I'm linking up to Tea Time Treats co-created by Lavender and Lovage and  this month hosts Hedgecombers, the theme this month being BONFIRE NIGHT!

                                                     

Detail: Sticky parkin - ideal for halloween or a traditional bonfire night treat

0 Apple, raisin and cinnamon sticky buns

In celebration of autumn and our apple trees in the garden being laded with some gorgeous apples, Mr Lancashire Food baked by special request some lovely sticky buns. The photography is phenomenal but please be assured they tasted even better than they looked.

Sweet dough is somewhat of an acquired skill and its a skill Mr LF has mastered, here's the recipe if you fancy giving them a go.

What you need

• 250ml milk
• 2 tsp dried yeast
• 50g caster sugar
• 500g strong white flour - suitable for making bread
• 10g sea salt
• 100g butter - melted
• 1 egg - free range beaten
• Couple of apples - peeled, cored and chopped into little pieces
• 60g butter - melted ( this is for the filling)
• 100g raisins (you could use sultanas)
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Couple of tbsp apricot jam -warmed with a little water - for glazing your buns and making them sticky.

What you need to do

• Warm the milk until blood temperature warm, whisk in the yeast and the sugar. Leave to one side until the mixture is all frothy and the yeast active
• In a large bowl mix the flour and salt , add the milk, egg and melted butter and mix with your hands into a rough dough
• Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or so until the dough is soft, smooth and silky.
• Leave the dough to rise in a lightly oiled clean bowl,covered until doubled in size. As this an enriched dough this could take several hours
• Whilst you are waiting for the dough to rise, cook off your prepared apple pieces in a little of the butter, fry them gently for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly softened. Allow to cool
• Also you can use the time to grease your tin or tins, I always find this difficult, you want a tin which will take 12 buns cosily. Do this by melting the rest of the butter and brushing the base and sides of the tin.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, gently roll out on to a floured surface and make a rectangle roughly 18 by 12 inches.
• Brush the rest of the melted butter over the dough, leaving approx a 1cm edge clear of butter on what will be the middle of the bun.
• Sprinkle the dough with the cooked apple, raisins and the mixed caster sugar and cinnamon.
• Roll up the dough like you would a swiss roll
• Divide up the roll into 12 equal sized pieces and place in the prepared tin(s), now cover with some oiled clingfilm for about an hour or so until doubled in size.
• Pre heat your oven to 180c
• Bake for 25 minutes or so until golden and well risen
• On removal from the oven, brush with the melted apricot jam, so they are all sticky and golden
• Cool in the tin, if you can resist that long !

This months theme for tea time treats is "sweet breads and yeast breads" , this bake would make a fabulous addition to any tea table , so I am entering this recipe in this blog challenge this month hosted by What kate Baked. 

                                             

Detail: Apple, raisin and cinnamon sticky buns

0 Christmas Sticky Buns

Now first things first, I can't claim credit for this bake, in the last few months Mr Lancashire Food has been developing his bread baking skills and these yummy festive buns are his first forage into the world of enriched  dough. Based on a chelsea bun recipe with the fruity hit being provided in this case by mincemeat and extra stickiness by spiced sugar butter ( granulated sugar mixed with ground cinnamon and ground allspice). They are delicious.

Ingredients

• 300g strong white bread flour 
• 50g light soft brown sugar 
• 1 egg - free range please
• 40g melted salted butter (cooled)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 7g dried yeast 
• Mincemeat - approx 1 large jar 
• Butter (soft) mixed with spiced sugar
• Warm water (blood heat) - approx 100-150ml ( all depends on the flour)

Method

• First mix the flour, sugar, salt, melted butter, and egg in a large bowl, with your hands until it is well mixed.
• Now mix the dried yeast and approx 100ml of the warm water into your mixture
• Mix this with your hands until you have a soft sticky dough ( add more water if needed), now knead for about 10 minutes on a floured surface until your dough is soft and elastic.
• Now leave in a covered bowl to prove and double in size, this may take several hours depending on the temperature of your room
• One doubled in size , gently stretch out into an approximate square approx 12" by 12"
• Spread your dough with the mincemeat , make sure you go all the way to the edges
• Roll up your dough in to a large sausage shape, cut into slices approx 1 1/2" thick
• Place in a baking tray, choose a container which will fit the slices snuggly. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for another 30 mins
• Pre heat your oven to 170c 
• When you are ready to bake your buns dot the top of each buns with the spicy  sugar butter 
• Bake until well risen and browned , checking your buns are baked through
• Leave to cool initially in the tin
• Then cool on a wire tray

Delicious and very very moreish, if you want snow on your buns sprinkle with icing sugar or alternatively drizzle with water icing. You could also play around with the spices you use in the spicy butter too.

Detail: Christmas Sticky Buns