Parkin Pigs have all the fun

 
Parkin Pigs

It was a fun time showing the young people at the local Youth Club how to bake Parkin Pigs in preparation for Bonfire Night. The recipe for this special Yorkshire treat originates from a Grandma in the Bradford area and these scrumptious gingerbread biscuits have become popular all over West Yorkshire. You need a cutter in the shape of a pig and these are quite easy to find online but if not, you can always cut out a version in card or get creative - after all it's only just been Halloween and All Souls Day.

What you need

110g/4oz butter

110g/4oz soft brown sugar

50g/2 oz black treacle

110g/4 oz golden syrup

225g/8oz plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 tsps ground ginger

Decoration for eyes (e.g. dried fruit)

How to bake

Melt the butter in a pan with the treacle, golden syrup and sugar. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the liquid from the pan to form a paste. Leave to chill for 30 minutes. Roll out and cut into rounds and place on a baking tray. Bake in a warm oven for about 8-10 minutes. (350F, Mark 4, 180 C).  

Meryl says : The secret is in the texture of the paste which should be sticky and moist so don’t let the melting treacle, butter and sugar boil. Just like Yorkshire Parkin, these biscuits get better if you leave them a day or two in an airtight tin or container. But they didn’t last long – in fact, the young people barely waited until they were just out of the oven to devour the lot! Later in the week, we’ll be making sausage rolls and toasting marshmallows – yum!

And Remember, Remember ... Grandma's recipe for Parkin for 5th November!