The 5th November is one of those dates in the calendar that always brings me pangs of homesickness. Back in the UK November 5th is Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night. Guy Fawkes was arrested on November 5th 1605 after he and his colleagues planted explosives under parliament in an attempt to kill the king. Bonfires were lit around London to celebrate the failure of the plot and thus was born a celebration that continues to this day.

 Although some places, such as Lewes in Sussex, still hold serious celebrations, for much of the country it is simply an excuse to gather with friends, let off a few fireworks and enjoy some hearty winter fare. November 5th is a date that always triggers food and drink related memories for me, whether it is enjoying a pint of a strong, dark winter brew in a North London pub before heading to the local park for the firework display, or the time we went to the Suffolk coast in early November and the firework party on the beach included an old tin bath full of jacket potatoes wrapped in a blanket.

In Britain, every year at this time food magazines and the recipe sections of newspapers will run articles on hearty bonfire night fare, from sausages and baked potatoes to hot chocolate and toffee apples. A popular item in these articles is parkin, a sticky gingerbread cake from the north of England made with black treacle, oats and ginger. It seemed an ideal candidate to turn into truffles to enjoy on November 5th.
 
I baked the parkin using a recipe for “Yorkshire Parkin” from “Oats In The North, Wheat From The South” by the Regula Ysewijn (missfoodwise.com). The initial result can sometimes seem a little dry but leave it for a few days and it almost magically becomes moister and stickier.
 
The parkin was then crumbled and mixed with golden syrup and butter to form the truffle centres, to which I also added some extra ginger, both ground and crystallised, to boost the flavour. These were then coated in more dark chocolate to make an excellent treat to enjoy on a cold winter night.

  
Parkin Truffles
 
8oz parkin
 
2oz golden syrup (or agave syrup)
 
1oz unsalted butter
 
Pinch ground ginger (optional)
 
0.5oz crystallised ginger, finely chopped (optional)
 
Salt
 
8oz dark chocolate
 
Crumble the parkin into a bowl. Melt the syrup and butter together in a small pan over medium heat.
 
Pour the syrup mixture over the crumbled parkin and mix well to combine. Add ground and/or crystallised ginger if required and a pinch of salt.
 
Melt 4oz of the dark chocolate over medium heat in a double boiler or a glass bowl over a pan of water. Add the melted chocolate to the bread and syrup mixture and stir to combine. At this point you can sneak a little taste to check if any adjustments to the seasoning is required.
 
When cool, place in the refrigerator for an hour or two until the mixture is firm.
 
Taking a teaspoon full of the mixture at a time, roll into balls to form the centres of the truffles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then return to the fridge to firm up again.
 
Melt the remaining 4oz of dark chocolate for the coating in a double boiler. Dip the truffle centres in the melted chocolate to coat and place on baking parchment to set.
 
Yield: around 35 truffles