A Scot exiled (albeit voluntarily) in England, I have to admit to missing Scottish food more than my family. Sorry mum.
You can get Scotch Eggs (not really Scottish) almost anywhere, and haggis has never been a problem thanks to M&S. I’ve even found Arbroath Smokies at the local fishmonger, but I can’t find a white pudding (and I don’t mean the Irish version – a completely different beast), macaroni pie (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it ) or decent Scottish tablet for love or money.
I was ‘weaned’ on tablet. A traditional sweet which dates back to the 18th century, it’s a bit like fudge, only grainer and crumbier and it melts in the mouth. It also makes your teeth scream, but don’t let that put you off.
Married a few months ago, I treated my guests (and myself) to a wee bit homemade Scottish tablet as a ‘favour’ and it was a roaring success. So much so that I wasn’t five minutes back from my honeymoon before the demands requests for more began.
So, to save myself from having to make batches of sweet loveliness every other weekend. Here’s the recipe. Make it yourself.
Warning
- Use a big pan. The sugar swells when simmering. My Gran always told me the pan had to be stainless steel rather than non-stick. Not sure why – but who am I to argue?
- Tablet should not be eaten as part of a calorie controlled diet.
- It’s hot and it burns. Be careful. Nuff said.
Ingredients
- 1kg white cane granulated sugar
- 400g sweetened condensed milk. Don’t use evaporated milk. It’s not the same!
- 100g unsalted butter. No margarine or olive oil spreads. No buts it has to be butter!
- Fresh milk to damp sugar (about ½ cup)
Preparation
In the pan, damp the sugar with cold milk. Add the butter and condensed milk and turn the heat on to medium-high. My Gran always removed a little dollop of the mix at this stage to compare as the colours darken.
Keep stirring until the mixture comes to the boil (about ten mins). Be careful that it doesn’t start to burn. If you see caramel brown streaks, turn the heat down and keep stirring. If you get black streaks throw it out. Throw the pan out. You’ll never get it clean.
Once boiling, turn the heat to low. Keep stirring regularly as the mixture simmers and expands in volume (I told you to use a big pan!). The colour should be darkening, take another dollop to test.
Keep stirring regularly for about 20 mins. Then take a teaspoon of the hot mixture and plunge it in a cup of cold water. If it forms a soft ball that drips slowly off the spoon then it’s ready. The tablet should have gone from a creamy colour to a golden toffee colour.
Take the pan of the heat and stir vigorously. The mixture will have hardened on the side of the pan, stir that into the soft, gooey mix. Once you’ve given it a good stir and feel the mixture getting gritty on the bottom of the pan you can pour into a buttered baking tray. However, let it set too much before pouring and you’ll end up with gritty lumps (trust me, I’ve failed at making tablet plenty of times – it still tastes good though!).
Once you’ve got the majority of mixture in the tray, feel free to scrape the rest off the pan with a spoon and eat. Divine!
Leave the tablet to set for ten minutes or so and then score into square chunks. Leave overnight if you can manage it! Don’t worry about the little crystals forming in the tablet – that’s perfectly normal. Once set, slice into small square chunks.
Gorgeous, teeth achy tablet. Perfect for a Christmas gift or just to eat. You won’t want to share!