Michelle Darmody: My recipe for an oat and treacle bread that is perfect for breakfast

And molasses biscuits perfect for dunking

Make double quantities of this treacle bread - it's a guaranteed hit. 

Molasses is more commonly known as treacle or if you are in the US it is often called blackstrap molasses. It is a by-product of when sugar cane is crushed and then boiled to make sugar; molasses is the thick, viscous liquid that remains. The word ‘treacle’ is used to describe a number of syrups made from sugar cane — and this can lead to confusion when ordering treacle tart, which has no dark treacle in it at all, just golden syrup.

Molasses has a very long shelf-life but should be kept in a tightly closed jar or tin. The dark liquid can be used as a sweetener as it has a high sugar content, yet it is also quite strong-tasting and is valued for the important vitamins and minerals it contains. The unusually deep, rich taste is great in baking, the caramel flavour and slightly bitter undertone add richness to fruit cakes, brown loaves or gingerbread. But, you can also add a spoon to mince, when making a shepherd's pie, or it works well added to a barbecue sauce or baked beans.

The spiciness of ginger works well with the deep intensity of the molasses. The batter for the buns can be made a day in advance and kept in the fridge overnight. In fact, the longer time allows the flavours to blend nicely together.

Spelt muffins with ginger and molasses

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Eat these muffins for breakfast or pack them in a lunchbox

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 190g spelt flour

• 1 tsp bread soda, sieved

• 2 tsp ground ginger, sieved

• 160g granola

• 90ml molasses

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 10g crystallised ginger, chopped

• 10g golden raisins

• 120g medjool dates, destoned and roughly chopped

• 370ml buttermilk

• 120 ml light olive oil

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until they are completely combined. Cover with a damp tea towel and place the bowl into the fridge and allow to rest for at least three hours.

2. Heat your oven to 180°C, pop in 12 paper cases into a bun tin.

3. Divide the mixture between the cases and bake for about 20 minutes or until baked through.

4. Once they are cool enough to handle, place the buns on a wire rack to cool completely.

Molasses biscuits

Great for dunking, serve these biscuits with a cup of strong coffee

Servings

20

Preparation Time

 11 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 21 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 100g self-raising flour

• 20g sesame seeds

• 80g porridge oats

• 2 ½ tbsp treacle

• 100g butter, cut into cubes

• 110g golden caster sugar

• 1 tsp bread soda

• 1 tbsp milk

Method

1. Mix the flour, sesame seeds and porridge oats together.

2. Melt the treacle, butter and sugar together over a low heat in a heavy-based saucepan.

3. Stir the bread soda into the milk and add this to the treacle mixture. Pour this into the dry ingredients and bring everything together thoroughly.

4. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

5. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line two large flat baking trays with parchment.

6. Form the dough into about twenty cookies, making sure they are even in size. Place on the prepared trays leaving room for them to spread.

7. Bake for about 10 minutes until they are beginning to crisp on the edges. Allow to sit on the tray until they are cool enough to handle then place onto a wire rack.

Oat and treacle bread

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Make double the quantities of this recipe because it disappears quickly!

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 150g plain flour

• 350g wholemeal flour

• ½ tsp baking powder, sieved

• 1 tsp bread soda, sieved

• a generous pinch salt

• 30g muscovado sugar, any lumps broken up

• 60g porridge oats

• 90g treacle

• 150ml stout

• 40g melted butter

• 250ml buttermilk

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C and line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment.

2. Mix the flours, sugar, baking powder, bread soda, salt and porridge oats. Add the treacle, stout and melted butter and stir them into the dry ingredients.

3. Gradually mix in the buttermilk and egg to give a firm but sticky dough.

4. Scoop the mixture into the prepared tin. If you wish you can sprinkle some oats on top. Make a slit down the centre of the loaf with a knife. Bake for about an hour until a skewer comes out clean. Once cool enough to handle, place on a wire rack to cool.