David Greenwood-Haigh’s Chocolate Parkin

Serves 8

Preheat oven to 300F / Gas Mark 2 Grease and line a 23cm / 9" deep loaf tin Sieve all the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a large pan. Stir in the milk and egg, and then add the oatmeal and the remaining dry ingredients including the chopped chocolate. Mix well. Pour into the lined loaf tin and bake for 1 - 1.5hrs or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares No matter how tempting, don't eat the parkin on the same day you've made it. It needs to be kept in an airtight box or tin for at least three days. To allow for the flavours and stickiness to develop. - so get cooking early!

Ingredients

225g self-raising flour
50g Cocoa Powder
175g oatmeal
100g 70% Dark Chocolate, chopped small
55g butter (room temp)
110g soft brown sugar
110g golden syrup
1 egg (med)
200ml milk
12g ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method