My Parkin is dry AF

[Mrsmorton]

I see my dad once a month. He has moderately severe Parkinson's and is fairly recently bereaved. I take him practical stuff, freezer meals etc and usually bake him something.

He asked for Parkin this time, he's coeliac so gluten free.

I baked it last weekend and wrapped it in baking paper and foil, expecting to open it to give him some (for breakfast, yeah I know) and it to be sticky treacly deliciousness. Instead it's like a solid block of gingerbread sawdust.

Help!! Please send me your recipes and tips. It's so hard to get him to eat regularly enough. This isn't helping!

Normally we have a diagram with a Parkin thread.

@NoMackerelInSwindon think bus shaped but sawdust.

I can't give you any practical advice I'm afraid, but I think the issue is probably the gluten free bit which always seems to make things dry. Hopefully someone will be along shortly to tell you how to offset that.

Oh god this happened to me. It’s the only time I have ever made it. I used a Mary berry recipe but I think it was in the oven for too long. It smelled lovely but was really dry and crumbly. I wish I could give you some advice but I haven’t made it since.

Expected a euphemism tbh....

@Baboutheocelot it does smell fab! Just dessicates you if you eat it. @ItsAllGoingToBeFine i suspect you're right. Might just stick with fruit cake.

Normally we have a diagram with a Parkin thread.

@NoMackerelInSwindon proper belly laughed at that.

I am Irish: genuinely didn’t know what Parkin was and thought this was going to be a thread about difficulties with your nether regions, @Mrsmorton

Someone did do a 'parking' thread about Parkin once. Had a kitchen diagram as well. About two years ago IIRC.

I do a gluten free parkin, can't get to my recipe now as I'm trapped under a sleeping baby. Main tips are take it out of the oven sooner than you think and I think I add an extra egg compared to a non gluten free version.

Could you soak it with a ginger infused syrup? Or poke holes in it and liberally drizzle something on it after baking while it's still warm.
That would make it sticky.

[quote Piglet89]@NoMackerelInSwindon proper belly laughed at that.

I am Irish: genuinely didn’t know what Parkin was and thought this was going to be a thread about difficulties with your nether regions, @Mrsmorton[/quote]
Me too!

@Bluebelltulip ah great thank you.

@SquishySquirmy great idea. I will try that next time!

@Piglet89 my nethers are perfectly fine thank you but I apologise for the lack of euphemism! It must have been a disappointment

Fry it in butter.

(Very often my answer)

This recipie for ginger cake goes deliciously moist and sticky the following day...do not be tempted to eat straight after baking its dry on the first day! Not a parkin per se but very similar and very tasty.

I've been disappointed by every Parkin I've ever encountered except those made by my darling granny - shame she died 20 years ago.

This chocolate gingerbread (without the icing) is similar dense sticky gingerness, but much nicer than my Parkin attempts.

www.nigella.com/recipes/chocolate-gingerbread

You can still pile it up and then make 'multi story Parkin' jokes, if you like we do.

This recipe has never failed me

I’ve never heard of Parkin and also thought it was a menopausal vag problem 😂 that you were being coy about.