Treacle tart is a traditional British dessert. The earliest known recipe for the dessert is from English author Mary Jewry in her cookbooks from the late 19th century.
Desserts
It is prepared using shortcrust pastry, with a thick filling made of
golden syrup (also known as light
treacle), breadcrumbs, and lemon juice or zest. The tart is normally served hot or warm with a scoop of
clotted cream, ordinary cream, ice cream, or custard. Some modern recipes add cream, eggs, or both in order to create a softer filling.
Treacle bread
In popular culture
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"Treacle tart" is Cockney rhyming slang for "sweetheart".
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In the Agatha Christie murder mystery novel 4.50 from Paddington, a homeowner's son, home visiting from boarding school with a friend, is said to be particularly fond of treacle tart.
[ "Audiobooks" 1:37:58 as read by Rosemary Leach. Retrieved 13 February 2023.]
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This dessert is mentioned in the 1968 British fantasy film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The villainous Child Catcher, in an attempt to lure out the children from the basement, calls out that he is giving away free sweets, including treacle tarts.
[ "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2018]
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In the Harry Potter book series, Harry's favourite food is treacle tart, a dessert often found at the Hogwarts feasts.
[ "Food in books: the treacle tart in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 February 2018]
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Treacle tart narrowly defeated the Pecan Pie in the Pie-Off during episode 108 of the Dave Dameshek.
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In Season 3 Episode 1 of Downton Abbey, the dessert is featured at the servant's lunchtime, where Carson exclaims, "That treacle tart hit the spot, thank you Mrs. Patmore".
See also
Further reading
