Tablet

Time for another recipe I think. Tablet is a wee sweetie from my homeland, Scotland. I would love to give you a detailed history suggesting it was initially developed to keep farmers warm and energised while they are working but that would be entirely made up (I think). It does however have a calorie or two in it so is a useful antidote to a diet!

So what is tablet? To appreciate it fully you really need to try it however that's not terribly helpful for a blog. For the texture the best comparison would be Kendal Mint Cake but since that's also a fairly niche product I will go for royal icing. Taste-wise it has a butterscotch/fudge flavour. In summary, it's a concoction of sugar, butter and condensed milk. I would suggest enjoying it sparingly however, once you've tried it, that won't happen!

Here goes:

Ingredients:

25g Butter (unsalted)
1/4 pint whole milk
500g sugar (less 1.5 tbsp)
205g condensed milk

Method:

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat.

When the butter is foaming and has gone a light, nutty colour add the milk and boil for a couple of minutes until both have combined.

Add the sugar while stirring gently to make sure it dissolves evenly. Bring to the boil and boil gently until the mixture has gone a light brown (this should take about 10 - 12 minutes).

When this is done, add the condensed milk and boil gently for around 15 minutes until the mixture is a light tan/cafe au lait colour. The consistency should be thick and viscous leaving a second or so trail if stirred briskly.

During the last two stages it is important to stir constantly otherwise the mixture will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Using a medium heat will also prevent things getting too hot and burning.

For an added treat you can add a dram (about 35ml) of whisky at this point for a bit of extra flavour.

Once the desired consistency has been reached, take the pot off the heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for three or four minutes then pour into a baking tray that has been lined with baking paper. Leave to cool for a few minutes until it is cool enough to handle then cut into small pieces before it sets too fully and becomes brittle.

You're finished product should have a dense, crumbly texture that should yield easily to gentle biting.

Be aware that the above timings are very rough approximations only. The key element is the consistency of the mixture followed closely by the stirring once you take it off the heat. Also, it will take several attempts to perfect it. I spent several weeks concocting various sugary gloops before I managed to turn out something vaguely resembling tablet but in the end, the effort was well worth it. Since it can be a bit of a pain to pin down, feel free to send me message/leave a comment and I will do my best to help with any trouble shooting.

TFB