Oh these large rustic vintage Scottish treacle scones are just the perfect tea-time treat. If you've never experienced a treacle scone before then you are in for a wee surprise.
Not too sweet, but rich with the flavours of gingerbread very similar to Jamaica ginger cake.
Spread with fruit jam and a slather of vegan butter and enjoy for breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea, picnic, pack-lunch, or snack.
Scones are a traditional Scottish bake that originated from the Scottish bannock bread which is a flat bread prepared with flour from barley, wheat or oats, water, fat and often dried fruits. Scones, of many different flavours and fillings, are a common sight in mostly all Scottish, as well as British, cafes, tearooms and bakeries.
Home-made scones are particularly tasty and can be split in two and spread with margarine and fruit jam for a simple yet deliciously satisfying snack, breakfast or brunch.
Or jazz up the humble scone and serve for lunch or a light dinner, along with vegan cheese, salad, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, chutney, hummus, grapes, etc. A scone can even take the place of a slice of bread or a bread roll/bap and enjoyed along with a nice bowl of hot soup.
For interesting history about the origin of scones as well as useful scone baking tips, check out our other scones posts for vegan cheese scones and traditional Edinburgh fruit scones.
How To Prepare Scottish Treacle Scones
Vegan margarine or vegan butter can be used for these large, rustic tasty scones. If ginger powder is not available use cinnamon, mixed spice, pumpkin or apple spice mix.
First, sieve the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and ginger powder into a mixing bowl.
Stir through the salt and sugar.
Add the margarine.
Using your fingertips rub the margarine into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Give the bowl a shake and it will bring up any large lumps that require rubbing in.
Pour in the treacle.
Pour in half the plant milk and stir.
Add small amounts of milk and stir, bringing the dough together with your hands until it comes together into a dough.
Knead lightly for just a few seconds and then pat down to about an inch [2.5cm] thick.
With a cookie cutter stamp out 4 rounds and place onto a baking tray.
Brush a little plant milk over the top of each scone.
Bake for 15 minutes or until scones have risen, are firm and have dark golden bits at the side.
Leave on the baking tray until cool.
Recipe Notes
How To Store Treacle Scones
Store treacle scones within a covered container or within a food/bread bag for up to 3 days.
Older scones can still be enjoyed split into two and toasted, or refreshed by popping into a warm oven for a few minutes.
Can Treacle Scones be frozen?
Yes. Treacle scones cope very well in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.
Although wrap well and pop into a freezer proof bag or tub so as to avoid freezer burn.
What is treacle?
Treacle or black treacle is a byproduct of the sugar refining process. It is a rich thick dark brown syrup that is not too sweet, a little bitter, has notes of caramel, and similar in flavour to molasses.
Black treacle is a popular ingredient in British supermarkets and stores and can be found within the baking section alongside golden syrup. Golden syrup is also a byproduct of sugar making, but is much lighter in colour and a lot more sweeter.
If you can not source black treacle for this treacle scone recipe then it can be substituted for the same amount of molasses.
Alternatively golden syrup can replace the treacle. Although the flavour of the scones will change if golden syrup or molasses are subbed, the scones will still be delicious.
What Goes Well With Treacle Scones?
Treacle scones are perfect for enjoying with a morning or afternoon cup of tea or coffee. Or a chilled glass of plant milk.
Treacle scones are versatile and are tasty with sweet or savoury accompaniments.
A few ideas:
- split in two and spread with vegan margarine or butter as well as a few generous dollops of fruit jam
- instead of vegan margarine some whipped vegan cream is delicious along with the fruit jam
- a dollop of hummus or lentil pate
- spread with margarine or chutney and enjoyed with slices or a wedge of vegan cheese
- cherry tomatoes or sliced larger tomatoes, cucumber slices and a few grapes
- treacle scones are also yummy along with a bowl of home-made tomato soup or Scottish lentil soup.
Vintage Scottish Treacle Scones [Vegan]
Equipment
- Baking tray with sheet of greaseproof/baking paper if required
- Biscuit/cookie cutter 3 inch [7 ½cm] or thereabouts
- Mixing bowl
- sieve
- Pastry brush for brushing plant milk over each scone, optional as can just use fingertips
Ingredients
- 225 grams plain flour all-purpose flour, sieved
- 2 teaspoon baking powder level teaspoon, sieved
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda level teaspoon, sieved
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger or cinnamon/mixed spice/pumpkin spice
- 60 grams vegan margarine or vegan butter
- 30 grams granulated sugar or caster sugar
- 2 tablespoon treacle or light molasses
- 200 millilitres plant milk more or less may be required, plus a little extra to brush over each scone
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 Celsius/ 200 Fan/ 428 Fahrenheit/ Gas 7.
- Line a baking tray with greaseproof/baking paper if necessary.
- Sieve the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and ginger powder into a bowl. Stir through the sugar and salt.
- Add the margarine and using your fingertips rub the margarine into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.Give the bowl a shake and the larger un-rubbed lumps will appear on the top. Rub these in.
- Pour in the black treacle and half the plant milk. You may not require all the milk so just add a little at a time and stir, bringing the scone dough together into a ball.Sprinkle flour over your work surface.
- Knead the dough lightly for a few seconds. If the dough is too sticky sprinkle in extra flour and if the dough is too dry smooth over extra plant milk with your fingers and work it in, until the dough is smoothish.
- Gently pat the dough down with your hands until its about 1 inch thick.
- Stamp out scone rounds with a biscuit cutter. The cutter can be dipped into flour so that it doesn't stick to the dough.[Top tip: don't twist the scone cutter when lifting the scone out, just lift the cutter straight up and gently press the scone out of the cutter.]
- Bring the dough scraps back together into a ball and pat down. Repeat until all the dough has been used. This recipe usually yields 4 large scones but a smaller biscuit cutter will result in a few more scones.
- Brush a little plant milk over the top of each scone. Use a pastry brush or your finger tips.
- Place the scones on the baking tray and place on to the middle shelf of the oven, for about 15-20 minutes. Fan ovens may take a few minutes quicker so check after 15 minutes.Treacle scones are ready when they are firm, risen and with dark golden bits around the edges.
- Either leave on the baking tray to cool or transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- Nutritional information is for guidance only and is not an exact calculation as ingredients vary.
- Don't panic if your scones come out the oven in strange shapes! This sometimes happens when baking scones but the scones will still taste perfect. Not twisting the biscuit cutter when stamping out scones can help prevent wonky rising.
- This recipe yields 4-5 large scones, if a smaller 1 ½- 2 inch [3-5cm] biscuit cutter is used the recipe could make 6-10 smaller scones.
- Store scones for up to 3 days, within a food or bread bag, or within a covered container. Wrap in kitchen foil to keep fresher for longer.
- Older scones can be refreshed by splitting into 2 pieces and toasting the inner sides. Spread with some vegan margarine or butter.
- Or place the scones into a warm oven for a few minutes until warmed through.
- Treacle scones can be frozen for up to 3-4 months. Wrap well to avoid freezer burn.
- Treacle scones are delicious split and spread with vegan margarine, vegan butter, chutney, hummus, peanut butter, fruit jam, marmalade, etc.
Nutrition
Prepared these rustic old-fashioned treacle scones?
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Take Care
Jacq x
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