Scottish Tablet Recipe

Scottish Tablet

Tablet is tricky to describe as it's not soft like fudge, or chewy like toffee, it's more crumbly and 'sugary' in texture.

The taste is one-of-a-kind too, and you can't stop at just one piece (well, I can't anyway).

But instead of trying to imagine what this traditional candy is like, why not try this authentic Scottish recipe (my Nana's!) and taste it for yourself?

Ingredients

British/Imperial Measurements:

2lbs (1 kg) Granulated Sugar

4 oz (113g) Unsalted Butter (NOT Margarine)

One 14oz (396g) can of Condensed Milk (NOT Evaporated Milk)

8 fl. oz (227ml) of Milk

1 fl. oz (3 dssp) Natural Vanilla Essence

US Measurements/Cups:

4 Cups Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter (NOT Margarine)

1 14oz can Condensed Milk (NOT Evaporated Milk)

1 Small (1 fl oz) Bottle Natural Vanilla Extract

Directions

Lightly grease a baking tray (11 x 19 inches works well) with butter and set aside.

Put the sugar and milk into a fairly large, preferably heavy stainless steel saucepan (mixture will double in quantity as it heats). Stir together. Add the butter and condensed milk and stir again.

Put pan on medium-high heat and bring mixture to the boil (this usually takes somewhere around 10 mins), stirring occasionally. Once mixture comes to the boil, reduce the heat until mixture is boiling gently.

Continue to let it boil for around 20 - 30 minutes, still stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from the heat and add Vanilla Essence... and now comes the 'elbow grease'... beat the mixture vigorously for 4 - 5 minutes, or until the mixture starts to feel more 'stiff' and 'gritty' under the spoon.

At this point the Tablet is ready to be poured into the baking tray you prepared at the beginning. Allow mixture to cool a little and then mark it off into bars, or squares with a sharp knife.

Tablet is ready to eat when fully cooled.

NOTES:

• This Scottish Tablet recipe is pretty straightforward, but it can take a few tries to get it 'just right'. But the good news is that even the 'rejects' usually taste great!


• The boiling mixture will be VERY HOT, and can burn you quite badly if it sticks to your skin. Be careful while stirring the mixture, and stand well back as you remove it from the heat towards the end of the recipe.


• Tablet hardens quickly once it's removed from the heat, so soak the pan in warm, soapy water as soon as you've emptied its' contents into the baking tray.

Scottish Recipes

Cooking Measurements Conversions

Glossary of Cooking Terms

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