Recipe: Cranachan & Shortbread
Kemp Anderson
thread which I've now lost due to its expiring. I think it was called
'Scottish Recipes' in rec.food.recipes. If not, apologies to original
contributors.
Cranachan
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This is a variation of the traditional Scottish dessert, often served
at Harvest festivals. The secret of the dish is not to sweeten the cream
but to allow the toasted oatmeal to develop a nutty flavour, making a
beautiful contrast with the jam.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1/2 pint double cream
8 oz blackcurrant jam
1/2 cup medium oatmeal
Dash Creme de Cassis (opt)
Melt the jam mixed with creme de cassis over a medium heat, adding extra
whole berries if you like. Toast the oatmeat under a slow grill making
sure the oatmeal doesn't brown - just let the flavour mature.
Add half the toasted oatmeal to the cream and whip to a full consistancy.
Pour the jam into wine glasses and fill with the cream mixture. Sprinkle
the rest of the oatmeal on top. The jam should still be warm when the
dish is served, contrasting with the cream.
Serve with shortbread then sit back and smile smugly at guests' compliments.
Variations : any harvest fruit instead of blackcurrant. To accent the
nutty flavour of the toasted oatmeal, add crushed hazelnuts.
"Traditional" Cranachan
=======================
Also known as Caledonian Ice, Iced Stapag and Cream Crowdie.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 pint double cream
2 tablespoons castor sugar
1/2 cup coarse oatmeal
Dash Drambuie or whisky
Blackcurrants to taste (opt)
Whip the cream, add sugar and whisky. Freeze until edges crystalise.
Toast the oatmeal and mix it through the iced cream mixture, return
to the freezer and freeze until solid. Remove iced cream half an hour
before serving.
If you're using blackcurrants or other berries, serve them fresh with
the iced cream and shortbread.
Shortbread
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Shortbread is a commonplace cake in Scotland, often served with scones and
other cakes for afternoon tea.
The usual shape of shortbread is round flat 1/4" - 1/2" thick cakes with
the edges pinched with the finger and thumb to form sunrays - a tradition
which is thought to have arisen from pre-christian sunworship. It is also
baked into 4" x 1/2" x 1/4" fingers.
Shortbread is mandatory at Christmas and Hogmany (New Year's Eve), when
it is served with whisky. However, it should be noted that the shortbread
is not a pre-requisite for the whisky on these occasions...
Ingredients:
8 oz plain flour
4 oz corn flour
8 oz margarine
4 oz castor sugar
drop of vanilla essence
Let all the ingredients come to room temperature. Blend the margarine,
vanilla essence and sugar in a large bowl. Combine the flours and sift
them into the bowl, mixing until you have a dough like a shortcrust
pastry texture. Don't knead or overwork the mixture or the shortbread will
become heavy when baked. Form the mixture into rounds or fingers as
described above and prick the surface with a fork. Specialist shortbread
moulding blocks are available but it can be formed freehand or by using
other cake moulds.
Bake open in a pre-heated oven at 190c for 25 minutes. Allow the shortbread
to turn a light brown without burning or scorching before turning out onto
cooling racks.
--
Hope these tickle your tastebuds...
--
Kemp Anderson
Glasgow College of Food Technology
Email: ke...@gcft.demon.co.uk
~~~
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