Calling all Scottish cooks! Please help before I ruin any more pans!!

[LindseyUK]

Does anyone know how to make Scottish tablet please?

I have tried several times, totally unsuccessfully...I can't get the mixture to boil without burning it, if I turn the heat down it still burns but doesn't boil at all....

The mixture also stays very grainy, like the sugar hasn't dissolved properly- how do you get it smooth?

Another thing- some recipes say to use some normal milk as well as condensed milk, others just say to use condensed.....

Any help very much appreciated

 

[Janice]

Well Lindsey - this sounds lovely - I have never made it or tasted it but will give it a go

I did a quick search and found this recipe - is this the same one as you are using?

This person says their recipe makes the Tablet a bit more grainy - perhaps it's the sugar?

Going to definetly give this a try
Thanks Lindsey

oooops - here it is!

Doh!

 

[LindseyUK]

Janice I can't see your recipe did you post a link?

 

[Scotfan]

Its years since I have made tablet, DH makes it better than me so I'll ask him when he gets back in.
Always use a thick bottomed pan and bring it to the boil slowly.

 

[LindseyUK]

Janice- that is the exact recipe I used! I thought I couldn't go wrong with the step-by-step pictures!!
Let me know if you try it out.....

Thanks Mo- I have just tasted the batch I made last night- the taste is just about right but the texture is all wrong, so grainy, like eating sugar. Are you meant to use caster sugar? Maybe that would dissolve better?

I was brought up in Scotland and always remember going to coffee mornings with my Mum and getting a bit of tablet wrapped in greaseproof paper to keep me quiet!

 

[Hamther]

We used to use ordinary white sugar (Tate & Lyle), pack of butter (it was unsalted as I remember as a small child trailing round with my dad trying to find this for tablet!), and a large can of condensed milk (yum).
That was it plus very large thick based pan (like a pressure cooker pot) and a spoon (we used a metal spoon). All the stuff was put in together and constantly stirred. It boils, you turn the heat down and still stir. When it begins to turn you feel it and see it - it thickens. Then we poured it into a tray and left it. No vanilla or milk.
It was always done on gas - electric wouldn't be as successful. I remember it was one of those things we did to while away an evening (no telly then) so it did take a long time. It's just patience stirring I guess.

I think that we are so used to today's shop-bought tablet that our childhood tablet with all it's imperfections has been forgotten. We thought it was delicious. I reckon what you are getting is pretty much what we made. It's just pratice - eventually you work out how much to put in and how long to stir! Just keep experimenting!

Jackie

 

[Janice]

Oh I dont think I'll be able to make it then - if it works better on Gas! Where we have moved to is Electric only for Cooking. I'll have to try with perhaps just a fraction of the quantities and see if it works.

If not - I'll have to see if I can get some to try, I'm intrigued now

 

[LindseyUK]

Jackie- you've given me the excuse I need to blame my cooker!

I've just moved to a house with an electric cooker and I'm not getting on with it at all....when I made the tablet, number 4 would burn the mixture but number 3 wasn't hot enough...also if it does get too hot and you need to turn it down in a hurry, it takes a while for the heat to reduce, unlike gas....

Janice I'm sure you will be successful- I used half quantities(it still makes plenty...it's too sweet to eat too much!), and I think I had the heat on too high to start with, so it burned without melting the sugar properly....

 

[Bouncy]

All i remember about my mum making tablet was stirring it continually.It helps it set as well if you stir it for ages.Be prepared for sore arms!!!LOL!!

 

[MalcolmC]

Yes, lots and lots of stirring! I have an ancient family recipe somewhere, I must dig it out.

........................... and for those pooooor weeeeee souls who don't know what we're talking about, tough!

Oh, alright then, its like vanilla fudge only its white, hard, melts in the mouth and tastes wonderful.