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 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.
Can you substitute molasses for treacle?
Yes, if you can’t get our traditional black treacle where you live feel free to use molasses instead.
Ingredients for treacle scones
- self raising flour (1/2 tsp baking powder optional but will give a higher rise)
- 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 slightly 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.
Pro tips for making perfect scones
Handle the dough as little as possible. A light hand is needed with scones. You don’t have to knead them just bring the dough together, tip it out and roll it.
Don’t twist the cookie cutters to remove them from the dough. This will make your scones rise with a weird kink to them.
Make sure your scones are even in height (not one side thicker than the other) so they bake evenly.
Raising agents – whatever you are using make sure they are in date. It’s so easy to have these little jars hanging about for years. They do go off and then don’t work anymore.
Types of flour for scone making
If you are using self raising flour as I have here you shouldn’t really need an extra raising agent. However, if you really want to go for all out scone puffiness then add 1 tsp baking powder to the flour.
Can you use plain flour?
Yes but make sure to add bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar to the mix to get them to rise. For the 250g of flour I’ve used here you would use 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1/4 tsp cream of tarter.
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;
Drop scones (aka Scotch pancakes)
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Traditional Scottish Treacle Scones
Ingredients
- 225 g/8oz self raising flour
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (if you want them extra fluffy)
- 90 g/3oz butter
- 1 egg
- 4 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tbsp treacle
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray
- Sift the flour, salt and spices into a large bowl and make a little well in the centre
- Gently heat the butter with the sugar and treacle and stir till sugar has dissolved completely
- Let this cool a little before adding the egg and most of the milk (save a litte to glaze the scones before baking) then pour into the well made in the dry mix.
- Stir to combine to a soft dough
- Turn out on to a floured surface and knead once or twice
- Roll to 2-3cm thick (1 ") and using a round cookie cutter or small glass cut out rounds
- Place on prepared baking tray and brush with milk to glaze
- Bake for approx 12 mins till golden brown
- Makes approx 8 scones serve warm with butter
Video
HI! I’m really looking forward to making these, but was wondering if you use aslack treacle or golden treacle syrup for these. I assume the golden syrup since aslack is more bitter tasting. Thanks!
Hi Laura
This is traditional black treacle, just 1 tablespoon. Golden syrup is different stuff completely. Hope this helps.
K x
These are delicious. I didn’t have any ground ginger so used ground cinnamon instead. Also added a bit of cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda as some other treacle scone recipes suggest. Fabulous fresh out of the oven and they warm up again really well too. Will try without the extra raising agents next time.
Hi Kath
So glad they were such a success for you.
All best
K
Hi – my scones turned out a bit flat and dry. No baking powder in recipe though there is for plain scones ?
I didn’t overmix or knead and used a knife for this. Got my plain scones down to a T so what’s am I doing wrong with the treacle version ?
Hi Brian
This is the recipe I used in my Scottish baking book. For this one I didn’t use baking powder but feel free to add some if you like. I sometimes do myself.
K
I made these treacle scones for a lovely Scottish friend, and he had no trouble proclaiming them a ‘keeper’. I don’t know how long they keep because we ate them all…..
Hi Dottery
That’s great so glad the treacle scones were such a hit!
K