If there was ever a grown up version of an oat dish then you could expect the Scottish would come up with it! Scottish Cranachan takes a small amount of oats and gets them toasty while you mix freshly whipped cream with honey and whiskey…and you can taste that whiskey. Lastly you smush half the raspberries and fold those and the whole ones through that whiskey cream.
I know, why am I even going into the directions of this recipe when all the details are below? Well…it’s such an easy recipe that most would never have heard of Cranachan (pronounced crona-kin) and it’s one of those dishes that you can whip up swiftly in your own kitchen regardless of whether you’ve stepped foot in the land of the Loch Ness monster or not.
Classic Scottish Cranachan has it's origins in celebrating the raspberry harvest which usually took place in June. "Scotland’s answer to Eton Mess, the word cranachan is Scottish Gaelic in origin, meaning “churn”, found here, though I can't seem to find when it was first made. Now being Scotland's national dessert and you can see why when it so easily utilises bountiful local ingredients.
Because of how easy this comes together and the fact the oats are toasted you could easily prepare them ahead of time, whip your cream ahead of time and stir the honey and whiskey through. Stirring all ingredients together would easily be done in a few minutes to serve a bunch of loved ones without worrying about anything to cook or bake.
Why you'll love this
Balanced flavors
The fresh raspberries folded through the cream add freshness to the dish that only beautifully accompany the sweet and warmth of the honey and whiskey.
Toasty oats
The toasted oats add a depth to the dessert that just wouldn't be the same without this step!
Ingredients for the best Scottish Cranachan
- Oats: Simple rolled oats or course oats are best because of their texture, however, you could use different oats, if you prefer, however cannot guarantee the same great texture.
- Heavy Cream: The heavy cream helps create a smooth whipped cream that you control the thickness of before adding the remaining ingredients. The best trick for quick and easy whipped cream by hand is a cold bowl and heavy cream right out of the fridge.
- Honey: Ideally your honey is well sourced (if you haven't done research, I recommend some light reading on the standards of bee keeping etc across the globe), ideally your honey is Scottish or British, but any fragrant runny honey works well,
- Whiskey: Scotch Whiskey is essential here, you only use enough to lightly flavor the cream and compliment the tart and sweet raspberries.
- Raspberries: Fresh raspberries were used here, just like the Scottish would, but you can substitute with frozen, if you cannot source fresh.
How to prepare Scottish Cranachan
- Toast your oats: Scatter on a tray and toast until golden.
- Whip: Whip the cream until its a little thicker than soft peaks.
- Fold: Fold the honey and whiskey through the cream.
- Crush 50%: Crush half the raspberries and stir through the cream.
- Fold: Fold the remaining whole raspberries and toasty oats through.
- Serve: Spoon into serving bowls and serve immediately!
FAQ's for the best Scottish Cranachan
Can I toast the oats ahead of time?
Absolutely! The oats don't need to be warm for this dessert, so you could prepare a few days ahead and keep in a dry container.
Can I make Cranachan ahead of time?
You definitely can, however, you will want to serve this dessert within 1 hour of making this, because it is best made fresh with the cream nice and fluffy and the raspberries fresh. Any longer and the cream loses it's light texture and raspberries don't taste as great.
More raspberry dishes you'll enjoy
How to make:
Turn your grill on in your oven and scatter the oats on a baking tray.
Place under the grill until lightly toasted and it smells slightly nutty, approximately 3-4 minutes, removing and shaking the tray as necessary to ensure the oats cook evenly.
Remove and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, whip the cream until soft peaks.
Fold in the honey and whiskey through the cream.
Take half the raspberries and crush them finely with a fork and set aside.
Stir the remaining whole raspberries through the whiskey cream mixture.
Lastly, fold in the warm toasted oats until well combined.
Spoon two tablespoons of the cream into your serving dishes and top with a teaspoon of the crushed rasperries, repeating a second layer of both.
Serve immediately.
Classic Scottish Cranachan
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Dessert, Summer
- Cuisine: Scottish
Description
Whipped cream with toasted oats, fresh raspberries, honey and whiskey stirred through for a very traditional Scottish recipe.
Ingredients
40 grams / ½ cup less 1 tablespoon rolled or coarse oats
400 milliliters / 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
43 grams / 2 tablespoons runny honey
15 grams / 1 ½ tablespoons scotch whisky
200 grams / 7 ounces fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Turn your grill on in your oven and scatter the oats on a baking tray.
- Place under the grill until lightly toasted and it smells slightly nutty, approximately 3-4 minutes, removing and shaking the tray as necessary to ensure the oats cook evenly.
- Remove and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, whip the cream until soft peaks.
- Fold in the honey and whiskey through the cream.
- Take half the raspberries and crush them finely with a fork and set aside.
- Stir the remaining whole raspberries through the whiskey cream mixture.
- Lastly, fold in the warm toasted oats until well combined.
- Spoon two tablespoons of the cream into your serving dishes and top with a teaspoon of the crushed rasperries, repeating a second layer of both.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe from Nigel Slater
Nutrition
- Calories: 429 calories per serve
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