Cake vs girls

Not really cake vs girls - more like Auntie vs Nephew in the Brownie wars - mine had better chocolate, his baked better ( a nice crust top and bottom - mine was just crusty on top)

Well done boy - nice cookin'

Notice I have taken nibbles out of the Parkin from all over the place in the hope that it is not as dry as chewing sand everywhere. It is. Good luck to the birds who will be getting stuck into this later.

Wiki: can be rolled oats or prridge oats, sometimes finer like bran

Preheat the oven to 140C/120C fan/Gas Mark 1. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm square cake tin.

In a pan, over a gentle heat, melt the butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup. Don't allow the mixture to get too hot or bubble. When they have melted together remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl sift in the dry ingredients and make a well in the centre. Gradually add the melted butter mixture and fold together. Pour in the beaten eggs and milk and combine together.

Pour into your baking tin. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, however keep an eye on it as parkin can easily become dry and over baked.

Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 20 minutes. Tip onto a cake rack and leave to cool completely.

   Ingredients

110g soft butter

110g soft dark brown sugar

55g black treacle

200g golden syrup

225g medium oatmeal

110g self-raising flour

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground mixed spice

2 medium eggs, beaten

1 tbsp milk

This weekend will encounter the 2nd bake off. I hear rumours of 'Parkin' a traditional Bonfire Night cake, originating 'up north' - the place Helen has never been. This could imply that things will not result in my favour again, as it appears that I am not Austrian nor Northern. But I will remain optimistic, believing that this will indeed be the best Parkin you have ever witnessed. My usual taste testers are away so any willing people that don't mind a gamble, please step forward...

Helen: Disaster. I had to re-do it 3 times. Tasted okay in the end. What about yours?

Jo: Baked were definitely better, the steamed ones tasted yeasty. What do you fancy doing next?

Helen: Kaiserschmarrn.

undelightful after their time in the oven

The final result.I decided to bake them, mainly due to how wet the dumplings were.I don't think they could have survived a steamy bath.They were acceptable..maybe not as a GermKnodel, but as a Sunday dinner pudding for the understanding family. 

rise rise rise rise please rise 

Bowl too big for saucepan? 

The day has come for us to begin our baking adventures, beginning with the unknown Austrian world of the Germ Knödel. I would be lying to say that I'm not fearful of what it is to come, we could end of with a flat plummy crepe. But I am optimistic that I can succeed in not creating an icing sugar Matterhorn in the kitchen. Fingers are crossed...