Name: Traditional Scottish Treacle Scones
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: 225 g/8oz self raising flour; 1 tbsp caster sugar; Pinch salt; 90 g/3oz butter; 1 egg; 4 tbsp milk; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp mixed spice; 1 tbsp treacle

It’s a fact universally acknowledged that scones are amazing. Be they simple or fancy they bring joy to the tea table wherever they appear. These treacle scones are full of flavour just so perfect to cozy up with alongside your favourite cuppa.

Traditional Scottish Treacle Scones

This is Halloween and apart from pumpkins (originally turnips for lanterns here in Scotland) and witches etc treacle scones are part of the Halloween traditions in Scotland.

As kids we would have to try to bite the treacle scones (they were covered in the stuff) that were hung up in the kitchen as a Halloween party game.

Those were sticky times. These treacle scones are scones with treacle (molasses) backed within them. There’s a big difference here. You don’t end up wearing the sticky stuff and mine taste just great.

What is treacle?

Yes, I know, seems like a daft question to us in the UK. But to folks over in the US treacle is called molasses. There is a bit of confusion here. As the word Treacle is defined as any syrup made in the refining of cane sugar.

This includes molasses. Golden syrup is is a lighter version of treacle. Real treacle is the rich dark almost black sugar syrup we buy here in the UK in lovely old fashioned tins.

I’m using treacle here, not golden syrup.

Ingredients for treacle scones

self raising flour
butter
caster sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
milk
ground ginger
mixed spice powder
treacle

How to make treacle scones

Unlike ‘normal’ scones where you are rubbing in the butter. With treacle scones the butter is melted into a sweet gooey mess with the treacle and sugar.

Mix the flour, salt and spices in a nice big bowl and pour the sllightly cooled melted butter combo into a well in the centre.

Whisk egg and milk (save a wee bit of milk to glaze the scones) and add this.

Bring everything together to a soft dough and roll out on a floured surface.

Cut into 8 circles to make your treacle scones.

Bake for a mere 12 minutes then let those beauties cool on a wire rack.

How long will scones last?

About five minutes in this house!

Scones are always better on the day they are made. However they will keep for a couple of days well wrapped or in a sealed tin. Warm them in the oven to liven them up a bit.

Can you freeze treacle scones?

Yes, wrap well in clingfilm then pop into a labeled freezer bag and they will freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly of course.

Warm them in the oven.

How do you serve treacle scones

Serve with butter and marmalade or just plain butter while they are still warm. Aah perfect with a nice big cuppa on a chilly day.

Better still, serve your treacle scones with my Blackberry Jam with Bay and Vanilla, it’s a winning combination!

Simply scones

Treacle scones are so easy to make and part of our famed baking tradition in Scotland. This recipe is from my book Simply Scottish Cakes & Bakes where you will find a plethora of baked goodies that all hale from this part of the world.

Afternoon tea

Scones are part and parcel of the traditional afternoon tea or the old word for such an event in Scotland was a cookie shine. Isn’t that lovely, cookie shine sounds so much more special than afternoon tea I think.

Fancy some more scones for your tea table. Then check these out;

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