Burns Night is the celebration of Scottish bard, Robert Burns, and falls on 25th January every year. Following a dinner of haggis, neeps and tatties, let us help you whip up the ultimate Scottish dessert – Cranachan.
The word itself is Scottish Gaelic in origin and means “churn”. This refers to the way Cranachan is made. Traditionally, it was made with crowdie – a soft, fresh cheese made from cow’s milk. In some parts of Scotland you may hear the dessert referred to as ‘cream crowdie’, although crowdie is not so common any more. Originally, Cranachan was made for the harvest celebration, using the fresh crop of juicy Scottish raspberries. But today it’s popular year round, especially for Burns night, and celebrates top quality Scottish ingredients; raspberries, whisky and staple of Scottish cuisine – oats.
Follow our recipe below for a delicious Cranachan which you can make ahead of time. For non-drinkers and children, use a few drops of vanilla extract instead of whisky.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp medium oats
- 300g raspberries
- caster sugar to taste
- 350mldouble cream
- 2tbsp heather honey
- 2-3tbsp whisky,to taste
We recommend choosing a Lowland or Speyside whisky as the smokiness of more peaty varieties may be a little odd with the other sweet ingredients
Method:
- Spread the oats out on a baking sheet and toast under the grill at 175C until they start turning a tan colour and smell nutty*, then leave to cool
- Crush half the raspberries through a sieve to create a purée (if you prefer it sweeter, add caster sugar to taste)
- Whisk the double cream until it’s just set, then stir in the honey and whisky (you can add more whisky and/ or honey to taste)
- Gently stir in the toasted oats until the mixture is firm
- Alternate layers of the purée, cream and remaining whole raspberries in 4 serving glasses and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve
*Make sure your oats are spread evenly in a thin layer over a lightly greased baking sheet. During toasting, occasionally stir the oats to prevent burning and ensure they are toasted evenly. Don’t use any oil as it will affect the flavour and texture of the oats.
When you’re ready to serve, simply remove from the fridge and garnish with a sprinkling of toasted oats, a few whole raspberries and a couple of mint leaves for colour.
Now… Where are the bagpipes?!
