Making an allergy-free version of these delicious Ripon Parkins was a treat in itself.When I was a child in Australia in the 1970s, we would go to the park behind my grandma and grandpa’s house for Bonfire Night. I could stay up late, in the dark and quite literally play with fire. There was usually a slight chill in the air as the sun set and the crystal-clear cobalt sky became speckled with stars. We would wander around the park with neighbourhood kids, helping to pile up the dry branches and logs into a bonfire in the name of a foiled gunpowder plot in a land as far away across the oceans as it is possible to go. Did we sing God Save the Queen? Maybe. God Save our distant Queen. I’m a bit closer to her now, but much more likely to sing Advance Australia Fair…

‘For we are young and free’

(My mum read this post and reminded me that in Australia, Bonfire Night was on Commonwealth Day in May and not on November the Fifth at all! I spent a year in England when I was six and it must have marked me, to have Bonfire Night on the eve of my birthday for once… no wonder I have memories of a cold Bonfire Night. November eves in Australia are already late Spring balmy.)

Choosing the ingredients for my Gluten Free November the Fifth Cake was as fun as picking out the fireworks back then.

Ginger.

What a delight for the body and soul. It is a crucial ingredient in Parkins, giving it that fulsome bite and spicy edge to warm you up by the bonfire. It was first used in Europe at least during Roman times, if not before. It is an aid to digestion and can alleviate flatulence. I take ginger tablets for motion sickness – it relieves nausea and morning sickness too. Ginger is naturally anti-inflammatory (which is wonderful for people suffering from auto-immune disorders, as well as to help reduce swelling from an injury). It has anti-viral properties to help stave off colds and sore throats and can be used to counter respiratory problems including asthma.

Coconut Oil.

Coconut Oil is solid at room temperature. It has a high melting and smoking point, making it a safe, healthy and delicious oil to cook with. Made up primarily of medium-chain fatty acids, this is a fat that fights fat. The body easily puts it to use rather than storing it up. It helps restore and strengthen cell walls (broken down with excessive consumption of trans fats). This is incredibly valuable to our well-being as it is our cells that pass messages between our brain, muscles and organs. With firm cell walls, fortified by healthy fats, our body is at its peak functionality. Coconut oil also boosts metabolism.

 

 

Gluten Free Ripon Parkins 

We’ll soon be set for bonfire night with treats even we can enjoy with all our food foibles!

These could be grain free if they were more a simple ginger cake – but to qualify as a Ripon Parkin, the oats are an essential ingredient! Try replacing the oats with 100g sunflower seeds and 100g flaxseeds (all soaked overnight if you have time, then dried in a warm oven for 10 minutes) for a grain free take on Parkins. Grind half the seeds in the blender if you have time to help the Parkin fight back against crumble!

Preparation Time 20 mins (plus 2 hours soaking time for dates)

Cooking Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 200g gluten free porridge oats
• 200g organic almond meal
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 oz lard
• 1 oz butter
• 250g dates, soaked for 2 hours in enough water to cover them, then blended with the water
• 1 gravy spoon of organic blackstrap molasses
• 1 tbsp almond milk
• 1 tbsp goat’s cream (or 2 tbsp of almond milk if you can’t find goat’s cream)
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp kuzu (optional to help hold this melt-in-the-mouth sweet treat together)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 145° (my oven is fan forced)
2. Rub the lard and butter into the past, almond meal and ginger.
3. Stir in the blended dates and molasses.
4. Combine the bicarbonate of soda and kuzu into the almond milk and goats cream and add to the mix.
5. Mix well until all ingredients are clumping together firmly, then let sit for half an hour.
6. I pre-heat my dripping tin (or 23cm heavy base cake tin or dutch oven) for 10 minutes in the oven, with a tablespoon of coconut oil or butter in the base.
7. Swirl around the melted fat then tip the mix into the pan and push down quickly and firmly to fill the pan.
8. Smooth the top by pressing down with your fingers or a wooden spatula and place in the oven.
9. Bake for 1 hour
10. Leave to cool for 30 minutes in tin as this will be quite crumbly for a while.
11. When a little cooled, turn out onto a tea towel.
12. Cut into squares. These will last for at least a couple of weeks and are best eaten a week after you make them! Wrap them up in foil or put them into your biscuit tin and enjoy the warming gingery spice by the bonfire. Or with a cuppa for morning tea if you just can’t resist.

Vegan Nut-Free Gluten-Free Ripon Parkins

For this recipe, I’ve returned to my sweetly aromatic favourite – coconut oil. I’ve also added fresh ginger – because in this day and age, when we have access to whatever fresh ingredients we want – and ginger being available sustainably all year round – we’re crazy not to capitalise on the delicious bite and healthful nutritious properties it brings.

If you use oat bran as I suggest here, these will be a little more biscuity and dry than the recipes above. Oat bran absorbs 300x its weight in water, so it’s great soluble fibre. Alternatively, stick with oatmeal if you prefer. You can also add an extra ounce of coconut oil or an extra ¼ cup of rice milk or an extra gravy spoon of molasses if you prefer it a little more moist.

Preparation Time 20 mins (plus 2 hours soaking time for dates)

Cooking Time 1 hour

• 200g oat bran
• 120g buckwheat flour
• 50g chickpea (besan, garbanzo) flour
• 50g organic potato flour
• 3 oz coconut oil
• 350g dates soaked for 2 hrs in enough water to cover them, then blended with the water.
• 2 gravy spoons of organic blackstrap molasses
• 2 inches of fresh stem ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp stevia powder
• 2 tbsp rice milk (or almond milk if you can tolerate it – it’s creamier, which I like)
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

 Method

1. Preheat the oven to 145° (my oven is fan forced)
2. Rub the coconut oil into the flours and oats
3. Stir in the blended dates, molasses, fresh grated ginger and ground ginger.
4. Combine the bicarbonate of soda into the rice milk and add to the mix.
5. Mix well until all ingredients are clumping together firmly, then let sit for half an hour.
6. I pre-heat my loaf or dripping tin (or 20cm heavy base cake tin or dutch oven) for 10 minutes in the oven, with a tablespoon of coconut oil or butter in the base.
7. Swirl around the melted fat then tip the mix into the pan and push down quickly and firmly to fill the pan.
8. Smooth the top by pressing down with your fingers or a wooden spatula and place in the oven.
9. Bake for 50mins to 1 hour
10. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in tin.
11. When a little cooled, turn out onto a tea towel and slice.

Keeps well for at least two weeks, in a biscuit tin or foil. Best eaten after a week for a really flavoursome treat.

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