autumnal goodness

it's been a grey drizzly day here, with a distinct chill in the air. much as i'd liked to have got togged up in waterproofs and headed out to the hills, there was work to be done - thankfully, though, work that could be done from the safety of home rather than heading to the office. and as the light started to fade further (which i hadn't thought possible in the morning gloom, but by midday it was lights-on time) my thoughts turned to autumn comforts - cosy jumpers, hot soup, jacket spuds, dark drinks...and parkin. i'm not sure that there are many smells more comforting than the warmth of buttery-treacley-ginger wafting through the house - and baking seemed like a good way to take a break from the (increasingly frustrating!) work that lingered around.

a couple of hours later, and here's the result. now then, of course, i know in my heart that parkin tastes so much better if wrapped tightly and ignored for a few days. but seriously? i can barely wait for the mixture to be cooked before eating it. guess i'd better wait for it to cool down a bit at least...