Mystery meal

[monster]

yes. And we ate loads already. Don't you hate recipes where you're supposed to leave it a few days before eating.....

[DanaC]

I don't do such recipes. I havent the patience

[Cloud]

well, I was pretty close with the oatmeal ginger cookies, then. oatmeal-ginger-molasses cake

[monster]

harrumph.



No patience required dana, we'll just never know how much better it would have tasted if we had waited a couple of days (I think it gets stickier)

[DanaC]

mmmmm...sticky, sticky parkin.

Oh that's it. I am buying some parkin tomorrow.

Proper Yorkshire parkin. mmmmm

[Cloud]

cheaters don't get to harrumph! and we call it molasses, btw

(sticks out tongue and runs)

I'm sad. I won't get any cake now.

[DanaC]

we have molasses too. It's a different thing to black treacle.

[Cloud]

really? a matter of degree of refinement though, like white and dark rum?

[DanaC]

This is another one of those “minefield” ingredients. Strictly speaking, Treacle is the British generic name for any syrup made during the refining of sugar cane. Therefore, theoretically, Treacle, Black Treacle, Molasses, Golden Syrup and Blackstrap are all treacles.



In practice however, there is a technical difference between “treacle” and “Molasses” in that molasses is obtained from the drainings of raw sugar during the refining process and treacle is made from the syrup obtained from the sugar.



In an effort to simplify matters, rather than start with the history of treacle, as with most of the Ingredient of the Month features, we are going to start with how the various treacles are obtained. The various types of treacle and Molasses are, in culinary terms, completely substitutable. Only the type of treacle/molasses used is of any importance when cooking.

[Cloud]

very interesting; AND I've learned a new word--always great. Thanks!

[DanaC]

oooo/ which new word?

[Cloud]

Parkin. 'Round here it means making out in a car.

hee!

[monster]

hehe

treacle is nothing like molasses, eventhough it's often substitutable in cooking when it's not the major ingredient. well OK it is something like molasses, but if it's the main ingredient, the difference is so great is completely changes the flavor. Treacle is sharper, i think -more bite. Maybe like comparing pure chocolate to semi-sweet?

[Cloud]

I am not sure I've ever cooked anything with either. I doubt I could find treacle in my supermarket at all.

[Sundae Girl]

One thing they always stressed at school before exams.
Reread the question before you answer. And some of the following posts, but t'internet weren't around in them days.

I was all ready to explode. Parkin with vegetables? WTF?!!
Oh. Dinner and dessert.
Sorry.

But I am as anal about proper names and recipes as I am about... most things.
Even though I am laissez faire with leftover recipes - I'll call them anything I damn please.

Mum makes tiffin to an Irish recipe. I bristle when people call something else tiffin, although I now know there is not "right" recipe, the name being borrowed from India as a meal, not a confection at all. And her tiffin has no raisins in, which I believe (from the preponderence of raisins in other tiffins) this might have been her choice, or perhaps the person who passed the recipe on.

One of the things (my missed friend) Emma & I bonded on was the proper recipe for Krispie Cakes. Exacerbated by a TV advert. NO! They are not just melted choc over [insert cereal of your choice]! They involve butter, and Golden Syrup. They are chewy not hard. Sheesh. Childhood loyalties.