- 110g/4oz self-raising flour
- pinch salt
- 2 tbsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 75g/3oz oat flakes
- 175g/6oz golden syrup
- 50g/2oz black treacle
- 110g/4oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 110g/4oz soft brown sugar
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 2 tsp whole milk
- 4 firm pears, peeled, cored and halved
- 500ml/18fl oz perry
- 150g/5oz caster sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 lemon, peel only
- vanilla ice cream
- For the parkin, preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1 and butter a 20cm/8in square cake tin.
- Sieve the flour, a pinch of salt, the ginger, nutmeg and mixed spice together into a large bowl. Mix in the oat flakes.
- Put the syrup, treacle, butter and sugar into a small saucepan and melt over a gentle heat – bring up to a simmer but do not boil. When the butter and sugar have melted, pour into the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Mix in the beaten egg and milk to create a soft, almost pouring consistency batter.
- Pour into the buttered tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until firm in the centre.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before turning out and cutting into squares.
- For the poached pear, place all the ingredients into a small saucepan so that the pears are all submerged in the liquid.
- Top with a piece of greaseproof paper cut into a circle to help keep the pears submerged.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until just tender – check with the tip of a knife to see if tender, if not, return to the heat and cook for another five minutes then check again.
- Remove the pears and set aside. Return the pan to the heat, bring to a boil and reduce the poaching liquor by half, or until it reaches a light syrup.
- To serve, place a square of parkin on each plate with a pear alongside, then spoon over the syrup. Finish with a scoop of ice cream.