Rare treat ... Jeremy Lee’s beremeal treacle soda bread with smoked salmon. Photograph: Patricia Niven/The Observer By 1725, as seen in the History section above, treacle was being commonly used to refer to the sugar syrup. Perhaps this is the reason why, in 1728, a writer, writing about treacle the medicinal compound, made sure to distinguish it as Venice treacle: As for molusses [sic] spirits, if rum is so wholesome that is distilled from the first scum of brown sugar, what must that be which is distilled from the moist clammy part of the sugar when boiled and refined again in England, which is called mollusses [sic], or treacle, only two names for one and the same thing: now the spirit made from treacle must be finer than rum, because refined here, therefore hath not so great a small as rum hath; also age doth admirably help it….

Pour this mixture into the flour, followed by the egg and milk and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon - you are looking to make a smooth batter. Throughout the 1700s, in English newspapers it appeared to be increasingly common that when the medicinal treacle was meant, it was referred to as “Venice treacle” (or one of the other qualifiers mentioned earlier), while when just “treacle” was said, the sugar syrup was meant. Sources Sugar Kitchen: Your complete usage guide for CSR Sugars and Syrups. Accessed August 2020 at https://csrsugarkitchen.com.au/content/uploads/CSR-SUGAR-KITCHEN-USAGE-GUIDE.pdfIn brewing, treacle is not only very wholesome, but also very cheap; for 12 pounds of mollusses [sic] is of equal strength or rather stronger, than a bushel of the best malt, and by consequence; now molusses [sic] is cheap, much cheaper than malt. The way is using treacle is thus, half a quarter of an hour before you cease boiling your wort, put in your treacle.

The OED further comments on “London treacle”: London Treacle… This seems to have been designed as a Succedaneum [substitute] for the Mithridate, or Venice Treacle, and is that which the Country Apothecaries sell the Farriers under the general Name of Treacle, which many of the latter distinguish from the common Molossus-Treacle, by calling it, The Doctor’s, or the Apothecaries Treacle.” Pour into a 900g (2lb) loaf tin (lined, or greased and the base lined with parchment). Bake on the middle shelf for 30 minutes, then cover with a sheet of foil to stop it from over-browning and cook for a further 30 minutes. The gingerbread is ready when well risen, it feels springy and when a fine skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Treacle should be stored at ambient temperature, although it may be warmed just prior to usage. Sugar Australia will expect a useful shelf life of 2 years for drums as delivered and remaining in their sealed and unopened containers.”Let me know in the comments if you make any of these recipes and how they turn out! More ideas for leftovers... Return to heat. Gently stir and heat until all sugars are dissolved and liquidy. Simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes. With its handsome red tin, a partner to the iconic Golden Syrup, there's no mistaking this product is Lyle's through and through. Nutritional values: Typical Values

Treacle is used in baking and helps to increase the moisture content. With its deep colour and slightly bitter taste, Treacle is ideal for gingerbread, rich fruit cake or any recipe that calls for Golden Syrup but where you’d like a bigger ‘hit’ of the molasses flavour.” [10] Sugar Kitchen: Your complete usage guide for CSR Sugars and Syrups. Accessed August 2020 at https://csrsugarkitchen.com.au/content/uploads/CSR-SUGAR-KITCHEN-USAGE-GUIDE.pdf

Sugar Refiners & Sugarbakers Database. Accessed August 2020 at http://www.mawer.clara.net/sugarff.html At St. Margaret’s Church, in Binsey, near Oxford, there is a famous “treacle well”, whose water was thought to have healing properties, and thus it was known as a treacle well. Treacle’s colour and flavour make it suitable for baking applications and for the production of certain confectionery items.” [6] Liquid Sugars. Sugar Australia. Accessed August 2020 at https://www.sugaraustralia.com.au/sugar-australia/products/industrial-products/liquid-sugars/

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160° Fan, 350°F, Gas 4 while you sift the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a bowl. Add the stem ginger and toss to coat. Flavour syrups, particularly golden syrup and treacle are quite stable and have a useful life in excess of 2 years and thus do not require a ‘use by date’. There may be some darkening of golden syrup over time.” [13] Liquid Sugars. Sugar Australia. Op. Cit. Hughes JT. St Margaret’s well at Binsey near Oxford: the treacle well of Alice in Wonderland. Pharm Hist (Lond). 2004;34(4):54-58. The use of treacle hath prevailed abundantly within these few years, especially in the country trading towns, where manufacturers are settled, so that many hundred hogsheads a year are used with bread instead of butter, and it being palatable, warm in the stomach, and very nourishing, good in colds, against scurvy, and very nourishing, and (the doctors say) useful in many diseases. It hath this disadvantage in London, ’tis sold very cheap, therefore rich folks do not like it. Add in the next round of sugar (500 g/1.1 lb), as well as the cup of boiling water. Fizzing and bubbling may occur. Dark sugars also may solidify.It’s interesting to ponder whether the exploding issue might be related to the Lyle’s brand being sold in tins. W hile the Lyle’s brand is shipped in tins, the CSR brand is shipped in a plastic bottle, with a screw-on plastic cap. This might make the CSR brand more likely to let off any pressure building up in storage gradually. Heating tins of treacle Liquid Sugars. Sugar Australia. Accessed August 2020 at https://www.sugaraustralia.com.au/sugar-australia/products/industrial-products/liquid-sugars/ Galen, a Greek physician born c. AD 130 in Pergamon, Asia Minor, who studied at Alexandria and practised in Rome, wrote extensively on theriake. The Latin is theriaca. The Greek adjective theriake is derived from therion, ‘a wild or venomous animal’, and modified a noun to describe an antidote to the bite of a wild beast. … The Middle English was tryacle or triacle, from which arises treacle. That this word was in common use in the sixteenth century is evident from the ‘treacle’ bible, also called the ‘Bishops’ bible, an early translation of the Bible into English. 20 Jeremiah, chapter 8, verse 22 reads: “ls there not triacle at Gilead: Is there no Phuition there: why then is not the health of my people recovered?” [24] Hughes JT. St Margaret’s well at Binsey near Oxford