Treacle tart is a childhood favourite of mine. My mother was not a great baker and this was part of her small repertoire which included Bramley apple pie, jam tarts and rock cakes with or without sultanas. Her version would have been topped with a pastry lattice and served with clotted cream. The texture would have been quite chewy. I loved it. This version is from a recipe by Annie Bell from her Baking Bible and is light and citrusy rather than dense and chewy. When my mother was baking, golden syrup was an alternative to honey, which was difficult to get hold of and quite expensive.
What is treacle or golden syrup?
A British invention – golden syrup (treacle) is a thick, honey-coloured form of inverted sugar syrup made as a waste product of the sugar refining process. In 1883, Charles Eastick, a chemist at Abram Lyle & Sons (UK) discovered how it could be refined to make a preserve and sweetener, which unlike honey will not re-crystallise.
Very different from the treacle tart of childhood memories but my new favourite.
