Brimstone & Treacle

I got the best Mother’s Day gift ever today! My guys made me a wonderful brunch and then got all dressed up to take me to see the Broadway Musical, “Mary Poppins” at the Fox Theater. It was an incredible performance and we all left singing and dancing. One of the most memorable numbers was “Brimstone and Treacle.” Since treacle tart is also Harry Potter’s favorite dessert, we all wondered what it was. Here is what we learned:

Treacle is another name for the syrup made during the refining of sugar cane. In the United Kingdom, golden syrup is a common household ingredient and is served on porridge in place of brown sugar or maple syrup. Have you ever noticed that Mary Poppins always pours her "spoonfuls of sugar" from a bottle rather than serving the granulated sugar we Americans are accustomed to? She is probably pouring treacle from the bottle!

Golden syrup can be hold in the international food section of grocery stores, but if you can’t find it, honey is a close substitute. Treacle tart has a consistency similar to pecan pie without the pecans. It is a little less gelatinous, slightly stickier, and very very sweet. It is usually served warm with whipped cream, or ice cream.

Brimstone is a sulphur ore from which pure sulphur is refined. The mixture of brimstone and treacle was thought to have positive medicinal effects and is mentioned in Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby as a remedy for hunger.