Ingredients

• butter
• for greasing
• 110g/4 oz self-raising flour
• salt
• 2 tbsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp mixed spice
• 75g/3oz oatflakes
• 175g/6oz golden syrup
• 50g/2oz black treacle
• 110g/4oz unsalted butter
• 110g/4oz soft brown sugar
• 1 free range egg
• beaten
• 2 tsp full-fat milk
• 200g/7oz golden syrup
• 2 tsp dry cider
• ½ tsp ground mixed spice
• 255g/9oz rhubarb
• in 1cm/¼in lengths
• 3-4 tbsp caster sugar
• to taste
• 500ml/1lb 2oz vanilla ice cream

Directions

• Pre-heat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1.
• Grease a 20cm/8in square cake tin with butter.
• Sieve the flour
• a pinch of salt
• the ginger
• nutmeg and mixed spice together into a large bowl.
• Mix in the oatflakes.
• Warm the tins of syrup and treacle in hot water to make it easier to measure them out accurately.
• Put the syrup
• treacle
• butter and soft brown sugar into a small saucepan and melt over a gentle heat
• bring up to a simmer but do not boil.
• Stir into the flour mixture.
• Mix in the beaten egg and milk to create a soft
• almost pouring
• consistency.
• Pour into the buttered tin and bake for 1¼ hours
• until firm in the centre.
• Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5-10 minutes before turning out and cutting into squares.
• For the hot spiced syrup
• simply whisk all the ingredients together in a small pan and warm
• but don't boil.
• Place the rhubarb into a saucepan with a little water and the sugar.
• Bring to a simmer and cook until just tender.
• To serve
• place a spoonful of rhubarb in the centre of the plate
• top with a ball of ice cream.
• Place a piece of parkin on the side and drizzle over the spiced syrup.