The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Food & crafts => Recipes => Topic started by: darkbrowneggs on January 28, 2014, 03:01:38 pm

Title: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: darkbrowneggs on January 28, 2014, 03:01:38 pm
Ok I think I am now officially addicted to Scottish Tablet.  I can distinguish between average and good quality stuff, but does anyone have a really good authentic recipe.


How does this one stack up


http://notsohumblepie.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/scottish-tablet.html (http://notsohumblepie.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/scottish-tablet.html)
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: Lesley Silvester on January 28, 2014, 07:01:42 pm
That looks lovely and I am not going to try it. I've lost 3lbs this week and I don't want it going back on.
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: doganjo on January 29, 2014, 09:48:50 am
I don't know the best recipe but I bought a bar at the Coop yesterday and ate the whole thing when walking the dogs - then I felt sick!   :innocent: Little and often would be better methinks  :idea:
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: bloomer on January 29, 2014, 09:51:44 am
I don't know the best recipe but I bought a bar at the Coop yesterday and ate the whole thing when walking the dogs - then I felt sick!   :innocent: Little and often would be better methinks  :idea:


i feel like that after the first square!!!


the kids love it though...
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: Backinwellies on January 29, 2014, 04:29:49 pm


I'd never heard of Scottish tablet ..... painkiller?,   a computer?   no when I checked picture and recipe I found 'fudge' ..... please don't start another Scot/English argument .... I was just a bit confused
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: darkbrowneggs on January 29, 2014, 09:06:05 pm
No its not like fudge - I used to make lots of that when i had a jersey house cow.  This is nicer, because it has a crisp coating.  But it is really nice and an absolute sugar rush but in a really nice way.


You are making me want some and I ate the last bit yesterday  ::)
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: Louise Gaunt on January 29, 2014, 09:28:15 pm
I can just feel the weight going even thinking about it!
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: sabrina on January 29, 2014, 09:37:16 pm
My daughter in-law makes it much better than me and I love it.
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: madchickenlady on February 01, 2014, 04:08:00 pm
I too was confused, not having come across this before, but it looks great. Would love to try it but it does look a little complicated! Have saved it though and might give it a go on one of my more patient days! If I get one  :roflanim:
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: doganjo on February 01, 2014, 05:16:24 pm


I'd never heard of Scottish tablet ..... painkiller?,   a computer?   no when I checked picture and recipe I found 'fudge' ..... please don't start another Scot/English argument .... I was just a bit confused
Not surprised you are confused - the recipes are very similar.  You can buy both Tablet and Fudge in  Scotland  - from the same manufacturer.  :innocent:

Tablet is crisper, fudge softer, both melt in the mouth, both sickly sweet, and if you eat a whole bar it serves you right if you feel ill - I can say that from experience   :-[
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: darkbrowneggs on February 01, 2014, 05:58:29 pm
Stop talking about Tablet - I am out in the wilds of Cumbria and ate the last of it a couple of days ago. :yum:
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: Louise Gaunt on February 01, 2014, 07:39:59 pm
In Cumbria you are close to the home of Kendal mint cake, another way to get almost pure sugar in solid form!
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: darkbrowneggs on February 02, 2014, 09:18:52 pm
Ah but it wont have that creamy, caramelly, butter, soft textured crisp coated Tablet flavour
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: bloomer on February 02, 2014, 09:19:36 pm
now kendal mint cake i like...


but not the chocolate covered kind...
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: Carse Goodlifers on February 03, 2014, 06:41:04 pm
There is a lady at my church who makes great tablet!
Certainly up here, every village/school/church summer fair, Christmas fair, cake and candy stall has tablet for sale and its usually one of the first things to sell out.

My g/f's great aunties friend makes some every couple of weesk and sells it for charity to friends and in the sheltered housing complex. 
My g/f's great auntie buys me 2 bars every couple of weeks  ;D 
I do love auntie M.

Although I've never made tablet before I believe that you can set off to make tablet but if it ain't done long enough, you get fudge, which as Doganjo rightly states is softer than tablet.
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: Cheviot on February 03, 2014, 08:13:43 pm
Hi,
If you are anywhere near Penrith, the Toffee shop there has fudge to die for, it is actually more like tablet, the chocolate one is sooooooooo good.
Drooling just thinking about it.
Regards
Sue
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: sokel on February 03, 2014, 08:22:17 pm
Hi,
If you are anywhere near Penrith, the Toffee shop there has fudge to die for, it is actually more like tablet, the chocolate one is sooooooooo good.
Drooling just thinking about it.
Regards
Sue
I second that  ::)  I visit every time I go to Penrith  :innocent:
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: Lesley Silvester on February 03, 2014, 11:04:16 pm
I'm glad I don't live near there. I have no will-power.
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: devonlad on February 04, 2014, 02:06:08 am
Round these parts its called butter tablet or even cornish buttter tablet tho I understand its origins are indeed scottish. Bloomin scrumptious
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: oor wullie on February 05, 2014, 05:32:20 pm
I always had it in my head that tablet was something that a man made on his rare venture into the kitchen, probably because it was my grandfather that used to make it and then I made loads and loads of it for favours at my wedding.

I don't have the exact recipe to hand but the following is what I can roughly remember.
Butter, sugar, condensed milk (the really thick sweet stuff).  I can't remember the proportions.

Melt them together in a pan and bring to the boil.  After boiling for a few minutes it will start to go a bit darker in colour.  A bit of trial and error is needed until you can judge what is the ideal colour to take it off the heat.

As soon as it is done take it off the heat and start beating it with a wooden spoon and keep beating it until it is nearly cool.  This is critical that is gets enough mixing at this stage and you will be tempted to give up half way, don't, you need to keep going until you have arms like Popeye.

When it is nearly cool but still not set put it in a greased tray to set properly.

It is pretty difficult to get it right first time but failures will still be quite edible (in a teeth destroying, heart stopping way).
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: darkbrowneggs on February 05, 2014, 06:57:48 pm
So all this beating - must it be done by hand or could you do it in a blender thing?
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: oor wullie on February 06, 2014, 06:52:48 am
It might work with a food mixer but you would want to be careful you didn't damage your mixer by overloading it as the mixture will be quite stiff. 
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: darkbrowneggs on February 06, 2014, 08:02:14 am
thanks  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: ballingall on February 09, 2014, 10:28:43 am
We've got a recipe in an old scottish book, my mum made it for years and years. I don't know if you could do the beating in a mixer, wouldn't the mix be too hot at the beginning?


I'll type up the recipe for you later today.


Beth
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: darkbrowneggs on February 09, 2014, 07:26:40 pm
Thanks _ will need to get sugar supplies.  I rarely use it on or in anything myself so of course didnt bring much with me in Thebus.  Perhaps thats why I enjoy it so much - sugar rush - sugar rush  :D
Title: Re: Best Scottish Tablet Recipe?
Post by: ballingall on February 09, 2014, 10:25:27 pm
Ok, so from "The home book of Scottish Cookery". First published 1967, our copy published in 1973.


Vanilla Tablet.


Ingredients.
1lb granulated sugar
2oz butter
1 tbs. syrup
1/4 pint milk
1 teasp vanilla essence.


Before making, grease a tin 6" by 6". Put the milk, sugar, butter, and syrup into a pan (a heavy bottomed one is better) and dissolve slowly.
Boil to 245 F, or until a drop forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and allow the bubbles to settle, add the vanilla essence and beat until thick.
Pour into the tin, giving the tin a shake to settle the tablet. Mark into squares when almost cold.


Vary the flavouring by adding one of the following,


4oz chopped walnuts
Rind and juice of 1 orange
2teasp cocoa
2 oz crystallised chopped ginger
2tbs coffee essence




Apologies for the imperial measurements! We also make cherry flavour, by adding chopped glacé cherries. Can recommend the walnut, cocoa (chocolate flavour), ginger and the cherry.


Beth