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An Autumn Picnic 3 of 3: Caramelised Pears with Crumbled Parkin

November 6, 2012 By All That I'm Eating 21 Comments

A picnic must always have something sweet to round it off; a jam tart or two, some chocolate biscuits or even a slice of cake. This being an autumn picnic meant that the sweet must have a seasonal feel. Pears were an obvious choice but you can’t finish a picnic with just a pear that would be akin to having a carrot instead of a birthday cake. No, these pears needed some warmth and caramelised pears seemed just the ticket. 
Parkin is a traditional cake eaten on Bonfire Night so I made some a few days before the picnic as I had heard it is a cake better left before eating. This would be the perfect accompaniment to the warm gooey pears.
Autumn Picnic - Vintage Picnic Set

You will need:

4 pears, quartered pips removed
125g butter
4-5 tbsp dark soft sugar
For the Parkin:
120g butter
100g black treacle
50g golden syrup
100ml milk
120g dark soft sugar
200g self raising flour
150g oatmeal
1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon and nutmeg
2 eggs
 
A few days before picnic day make the Parkin. In a saucepan melt together the butter, treacle, syrup, milk and sugar until combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, oatmeal and spices and then mix in the eggs. Pour the mixture into a greased and lined 21cm square cake tin and bake at 170C for an hour or until the cake is cooked. A fantastically simple cake which makes the house smell like a spice shop.
Autumn Picnic - Caramelised Pears and Parkin
When it comes to picnic time, use the same pan that you used for the cider and melt the butter in the pan. When the butter is frothy add the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pears and allow them to soften for five minutes or so. You don’t have much control over the temperature on the BBQ so it’s best to watch the pan or it may catch. When the pears are ready put them onto a plate and crumble the Parkin over the top. A brilliant end to the picnic if I do say so myself. The pears are sticky and warm and the spicy, dark, soft cake pairs extremely well with the buttery caramel. 
Having a picnic in the autumn was a great experience and is something I hope to do again; I’d make sure that there were inexhaustible supplies of tea next time. It was a little cold and the wind was whipping around us but we all had fun and some great food. If you thought the season for outdoor eating was over, think again.

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  • Autumn Picnic - Spiced Cider
    An Autumn Picnic 1 of 3: Spiced Cider and Sticky Chilli Sausages
  • Pears Poached In Elderberry Wine
    Pears Poached in Elderberry Wine

Filed Under: Autumn, Baking, Butter, Cake, Caramel, Dairy & Eggs, Fruit, November, Occasions, Pear, Picnic, Pudding, Recipes By Month, Seasons Tagged With: Baking, cake, pear, picnic, pudding

« An Autumn Picnic 2 of 3: Garlic Butter Mushroom Burgers
Tea and Me: A long term love affair and a review of Teavivre »

Comments

  1. mylittleitaliankitchen says

    November 6, 2012 at 10:25

    I must say this is delicious and very tempting. I love what you have done here! All new to me. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Treatntrick Treat and Trick says

    November 6, 2012 at 10:40

    That’s new to me but it looks awesome!

    Reply
  3. The View From The Table says

    November 6, 2012 at 11:26

    I’ve loved these posts. Really inspiring, the pear and parkin combo is perfect

    Reply
  4. Matthew says

    November 6, 2012 at 12:12

    Mmmm. Funnily enough, I was thinking about making a parkin ‘cos we had a lovely one at Medlar in London. This’ll do! Thanks.

    Love the idea of a cold weather picnic. The challenge this year seems to be finding cold and dry weather though!

    Reply
  5. Scrambled Megs says

    November 6, 2012 at 12:35

    looks divine! i only posted a pear recipe tonight too. LOVE pear x

    Reply
  6. Karen S Booth says

    November 6, 2012 at 15:15

    FABULOUS! And do you know what? I MUCH prefer a winter picnic to a summer one, with flasks of soup or hot chocolate and hearty treats – this is a LOVELY recipe, just the sort of picnic food I love! Karen

    Reply
  7. Hannah says

    November 6, 2012 at 17:18

    Delicious! Great idea of crumbling the parkin over the pears, gives it a real dessert-y feel!

    Reply
  8. Brittany says

    November 6, 2012 at 18:07

    This looks delicious!! Cake with pears..count me in!

    Reply
  9. Guru Uru says

    November 6, 2012 at 20:10

    first time I am hearing of parkin but not the last 😀
    Delicious!

    Cheers
    CCU

    Reply
  10. Mich Piece of Cake says

    November 7, 2012 at 04:08

    I sure would love to have some of that pear with the sticky syrup over it…. looks so divine!

    Reply
  11. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

    November 7, 2012 at 07:33

    I’ve never heard of parkin before but thanks for the post so I now know what it is! We love pears and this sounds like a very nice dish! I haven’t gone to picnic for a long time, but autumn or spring picnic is so beautiful and I love it!

    Reply
  12. Jacqueline @Howtobeagourmand says

    November 7, 2012 at 10:05

    A carrot instead of a birthday cake indeed! Beautiful way to finish off the picnic series. Comfort and smiles all the way 🙂

    Reply
  13. Nazima FranglaisKitchen says

    November 7, 2012 at 21:03

    oooh I do love a the spices in the parkin, they must go so well together with pear.

    Reply
  14. Jenn Kendall says

    November 7, 2012 at 21:58

    i just loved the dishes you brought for your autumn picnic, everything is so delicious and perfectly seasonal!

    Reply
  15. Juliana says

    November 8, 2012 at 01:45

    Interesting recipe with pear…first time that I heard of parkin…
    Looks good…thanks for teaching me a new item and hope you are having a great week 🙂

    Reply
  16. the food dude says

    November 8, 2012 at 11:33

    This is new to me, but the Parkin looks perfect for the picnic! Always great to learn new things from your posts!

    Reply
  17. rita cooks italian says

    November 8, 2012 at 15:38

    I agree a Picnic should always end with a good sweet thing! I did not know that Parkin is a traditional cake eaten on Bonfire Night.

    Reply
  18. Kit @ i-lostinausten says

    November 9, 2012 at 10:34

    Another wonderful seasonal dessert with parkin. Never heard of it before but by reading the ingredients , it sounds delicious & full with spices! A must try recipe for me. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
  19. Marina@Picnic at Marina says

    November 9, 2012 at 20:48

    Lovely picnic you are having there. I love your picnic basket… 🙂

    Reply
  20. Enjoying the Epiphany says

    November 9, 2012 at 21:40

    HI, I am your newest follower and was hoping that you’d stop on by my blog and follow me back!

    https://www.enjoyingtheepiphany.com

    Thanks,
    Sarah

    Reply
  21. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

    November 9, 2012 at 22:44

    Okay, this is totally new to me but I’d go on a picnic with you ANYTIME! This looks lovely and invites me to take a bite.

    Reply

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Hello I’m Caroline

Welcome to my site All That I’m Eating. You will find inventive recipes using seasonal and foraged ingredients as well as everyday easy meals and a few indulgent recipes too.

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