Delicious spiced, Gingerbread/Ginger Parkin style porridge made with traditional oatmeal porridge. Serve this with extra cream for an early morning indulgence. This porridge idea came from my grandmother’s Gingerbread (Ginger Parkin) recipe and the delectable creamy porridge that she used to make every morning when I stayed with her. Plus a recipe for a delectable creamy porridge with cinnamon poached apples and a crunchy crumble topping. For everyone who loves porridge and apple crumble, you can have them both in this fabulous breakfast dish now! Use your favourite granola for the topping.
World Porridge Making Championship®
cooking porridge to win
The Golden Spurtle®
This last weekend saw me travel from North Wales all the way up to Carrbridge in the Highlands of Scotland. And, all for a chance to make porridge, and enter my porridge recipes into the World Porridge Championships to chase that most elusive of prizes, The Golden Spurtle. Since 1994, the World Porridge Making Championship® has taken place each year in the Scottish Highlands village of Carrbridge. The oaty cook-off draws competitors from across the globe to compete for the coveted Golden Spurtle® trophy and title of “World Porridge Making Champion.” Young People can compete for the Silver Spurtle™ Trophy. Not satisfied with just oats, water and salt? Don’t worry, competitors also battle it out for the speciality trophy in a section that celebrates the versatility of porridge with past winners including a Scottish Tapas Platter, Fruity Date Porridge and Pinhead Risotto with Lemon. See if you can spot me in the photo below…..
…..I was asked to attend by Mornflake, who I’ve worked with before, as regular readers may remember, you can see my oaty recipes here: Four “Oat Cuisine” Recipes for Christmas Day and Overnight Oats with Honey & Raspberries . I was using Mornflake’s Stoneground Medium Oatmeal in my porridge recipes, which is what I use at home. As a contestant, you are required to make TWO bowls of porridge (well, six bowls actually, one bowl of porridge per recipe for each judge, and there are three judges) in the championships, one traditional porridge made with just oatmeal, water and salt, and a speciality porridge using oatmeal and any other ingredients or flavourings you like. My speciality porridge recipe was Gingerbread/Ginger Parkin Porridge, which is made with milk, cream, spices, stem ginger, golden syrup and ginger syrup.
My traditional porridge was made with 135g Mornflake medium oatmeal, 990mls Welsh spring water and some Halen Mon Welsh salt; and, I am thrilled to be able to tell you that I was a finalist and in the final SIX contestants for a cook-off to win the Golden Spurtle® There were thirty contestants with lots of them being ex-champions and winners in both categories, so not bad for a “Virgin” contestant entry! In fact I was so surprised at being called back, that I had already packed up all my pans and equipment, so I had to rush back to unpack them. I didn’t win the coveted Golden Spurtle® in the end, Lisa, a lovely lady who has been attending the championships for many years won, but I was super chuffed to in the final six, as well as being very pleased that Lisa finally won after entering so many times.
It was a fabulous weekend, filled with porridge and the chance to meet new people and make friends from all over the globe. My Gingerbread/Ginger Parkin Porridge recipe is shared below, along with a recipe for Apple Crumble Porridge, which I made specially for Mornflake and the run up to entering World Porridge Making Championship® Both recipes are shared below, as well as my other Mornflake recipes, which are shared just in time for Christmas this year. I hope you enjoy both of these recipes if you make them, and DON’T forget that the best way to stir porridge is with a SPURTLE, as I use when I make porridge. Karen
The spurtle (or “spurtel”, “spurtil”, “spirtle” or “spartle”) is a Scottish wooden kitchen tool, dating from the fifteenth century, that is used to stir porridge, soups, stews and broths.
The rod-like shape means that porridge can be stirred without congealing and forming lumps, unlike a spoon that would have a dragging effect during stirring, and the low surface area reduces the chances of porridge sticking to the instrument.
Spurtles are made from wood, including beech, cherry wood, and maple. They come in a range of sizes. Traditional spurtles have stylised thistles at the top, while modern ones often have a smooth taper.
The custom is that a spurtle should be used to stir in a clockwise direction with the right hand.
Recipes:
Gingerbread (Ginger Parkin) Porridge
Print recipe
| Serves | 1 |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 10 minutes |
| Total time | 25 minutes |
| Allergy | Milk |
| Dietary | Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Breakfast, Snack |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Christmas, Thanksgiving |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 45g Mornflake medium oatmeal
- 150ml whole milk
- 1 teaspoon stem ginger syrup, plus extra for drizzling on finished porridge
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup
- 1 tablespoon sultanas
- 1 large piece of stem ginger, finely diced + extra for serving
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 50ml single cream + extra for serving
Note
Delicious spiced, Gingerbread/Ginger Parkin style porridge made with traditional oatmeal porridge. Serve this with extra cream for an early morning indulgence. This porridge idea came from my grandmother's Gingerbread (Ginger Parkin) recipe and the delectable creamy porridge that she used to make every morning when I stayed with her. (Serves 1)
Directions
| Step 1 | Place the oatmeal porridge, spices, stem ginger and sultanas in a saucepan and add both of the syrups, milk and cream. |
| Step 2 | Simmer over a low heat, stirring continuously with a spurtle, for about 10 minutes, until the porridge is thick and creamy.*Adjust by adding extra milk if the porridge is too thick. |
| Step 3 | Spoon the porridge into a bowl (or Kilner Jar) and scatter the chopped stem ginger over the top, along with the single cream and more ginger syrup to serve. |
Apple Crumble Porridge
| Serves | 1 |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 15 minutes |
| Total time | 30 minutes |
| Allergy | Milk |
| Dietary | Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Breakfast, Snack |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Christmas, Thanksgiving |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
Porridge
- 45g Mornflake medium oatmeal porridge
- 1 teaspoon Demerara sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 200ml whole milk
Apples
- 1 small eating apple, unpeeled, cut into eighths and cored
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon Demerara sugar
Crumble
- 2 tablespoons granola, preferably with nuts
Note
A delectable creamy porridge with cinnamon poached apples and a crunchy crumble topping. For everyone who loves porridge and apple crumble, you can have them both in this fabulous breakfast dish now! Use your favourite granola for the topping.
Directions
| Step 1 | Simmer the apples with the water and sugar in a saucepan until they are soft. Keep warm whilst you make the porridge. |
| Step 2 | Place the oatmeal porridge, sugar and ground cinnamon in a saucepan and add the milk. |
| Step 3 | Simmer over a low heat, stirring continuously with a spurtle, for about 10 minutes, until the porridge is thick and creamy.*Adjust by adding extra milk if the porridge is too thick. |
| Step 4 | Spoon the porridge into a bowl (or Kilner Jar) and spoon the poached apples on the top of the porridge before scattering the granola over the apples. *You can layer the porridge with the granola if you wish too. |
Festive overnight cooked oatmeal with spiced poached fruits
“Spiced Christmas Fruit Flapjacks”
Cheese and Oat Scones (with assorted savoury toppings)
“Festive Sausage, Cranberry, Sage and Onion Oat Stuffing”
“Cheese and Oat Scones”
Overnight Oats with Honey & Raspberries
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