Remember, Remember The 5th Of November: The History Of Guy Fawkes Night, Its Fiery Traditions & A Recipe For Bonfire Parkin Cake
Every 5th of November, the people of Great Britain celebrate a curious incident in 1605 that nearly saw the King blown to smithereens as he opened Parliament.
People across the country can be seen attending public and at-home firework displays and gathering around a bonfire with family and friends while consuming traditional treats. Upon the bonfire is traditionally placed a Guy, which is usually a sort of straw-stuffed, scarecrow-type effigy which is then burned.
But who is Guy and why are people watching him burn? To answer this we must travel back through the centuries to 1605 and that fateful incident involving the king…
The Gunpowder Plot
We all know that Henry VIII put a cat amongst the pigeons when he parted with the Catholic Church in the name of pursuing a male heir – and Anne Boleyn!
Fat lot of good that did, as his line ended when his son died and his two daughters produced no children.
More importantly those children were also responsible for a great religious divide between catholicism and protestantism by harshly punishing those they thought blasphemous according to their beliefs — hello, Bloody Mary!
When James VI of Scotland also became James I of England in 1603 there were great hopes amongst the Catholics that he would be more lenient towards them.
Alas! He was not and what is known the Gunpowder plot was, well, plotted.
A group of Catholic conspirators, headed by Robert Catesby, got together to plan an assassination of King James I by destroying the Houses of Parliament with gunpowder during the State Opening of Parliament on the 5th November, 1605. They then hoped to replace him as head of state with a Catholic version.
Caught Red Handed
An anonymous letter warning of the attack was sent to Lord Monteagle and a search of the vaults below the Houses of Parliament was carried out in the very early hours of the 5th.
One of the conspirators, Guy Fawkes, was caught down in the vaults alongside 36 barrels of gunpowder.
Now the plot had been foiled, Fawkes was pressed in a not-too-friendly manner to reveal his and his co-conspirators' secrets. Some of the conspirators fled London while some ended up in a standoff with the authorities and ended with many being shot, including the ringleader, Catesby. The rest, including Fawkes, were hung, drawn, and quartered the following January.
The Observance of 5th November Act was passed in 1605 as a way to ensure the fact the plot failed was celebrated every 5th November going forward.
While the act is no longer enshrined in law, the British people still celebrate every year with bonfires, sparklers, fireworks, and traditional treats.
Bonfire Night also goes hand in hand with a famous poem, that all schoolchildren could recite at least the first two lines of:
Remember, remember, the 5th of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, 'twas his intent
To blow up the King and the Parliament
Three score barrels of powder below
Poor old England to overthrow
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match
Holler boys, holler boys, let the bells ring
Holler boys, holler boys
God save the King!
Traditional Yorkshire Bonfire Parkin
Many treats are synonymous with bonfire night in the UK depending on which part you live in or are visiting.
Toffee apples, bonfire toffee, baked potatoes, and hot chocolate are all warming, worthy treats for firework viewing.
One of the most famous and traditional is Bonfire Parkin from Yorkshire. This sticky cake is full of good things including treacle, oatmeal, and spicy ginger to keep you warm while you enjoy the show.
Here is a tried and tested traditional Yorkshire family recipe that has been passed down through the generations…
Bonfire Parkin
Ingredients
225g Oatmeal
115g Flour
2 tsp Ground ginger
1 tsp Baking powder
60g Brown sugar
85g Butter
25g Treacle or Molasses
200g Golden syrup or light treacle
1/2 Cup Boiling water
1 Egg (beaten)
Square brownie or cake tin measuring between 18 to 20 cm depending on how thick you want your Parkin to be.
Let’s make Parkin
Gently melt, but not boil, together the butter, treacle, syrup, sugar, and water until sugar is dissolved.
In a sizeable bowl mix together the oatmeal, flour, baking powder, and ginger and make a well in the middle.
Pour the beautifully dark and luxurious syrup mixture into that well and fold the ingredients gently together.
Add the beaten egg, and give a final stir to mix it in.
Pour into a tin that you have already rather efficiently greased and lined before baking for 40 minutes at 300F (150C).
Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into 16 squares.
If you can possibly resist, it's best to make it ahead of time and leave it wrapped in baking parchment for a day or two to develop the cake’s characteristic sticky and moist texture.
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