Crumbly, buttery and deliciously sweet, tablet is a delightful sight for children (and most adults) and of course, the bane of dentists everywhere.
A favourite of Scots for generations, this sweet treat is a perfect little hit of nostalgia for anyone who grew up in Scotland or had a relative who lived there.
Supposedly easy to make, many will also attest to the fact that it's very hard to master.
In the absence of the expert hands of your favourite elderly relatives who currently can't make it for you with the restrictions in place, Scotland's National Chef has stepped forward to offer his own recipe that is perfect for amateur sweetie lovers making at home.
Gary Maclean, who is one of Scotland's top chefs and a TV personality in his own right, made this recipe while researching for the launch of his highly popular cookbook Kitchen Essentials, he said: “There really is nothing better than homemade tablet, it’s a little piece of indulgence.
"Making it at home is really simple and its a great recipe to hand down to your kids and grandchildren to help keep this sweet Scottish tradition going."
Explaining about the process of making this traditional sweetie, Gary added: “My main tip when making tablet is to be careful when the mixture is boiling, you need to continuously stir it while it's at a high temperature so take care.”
He warned that the mixture for tablet boils at a very high temperature and can result in a bad burn to skin if those making it aren't careful during cooking.
Gary's delicious Scottish tablet recipe
What you'll need:
1 tin x Condensed milk
1kg x granulated sugar
400ml x milk
250g x unsalted butter
20 ml vinegar
A few drops of white chocolate
How to make it:
Pour the condensed milk, sugar and milk into a heavy bottomed saucepan (wide based is better) and gently heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil and stir for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and beat in the butter vigorously for 7 minutes.
The mixture should start to feel slightly grainy around the sides of the pan.
Once you’ve achieved a medium brown colour turn off the heat.
Pour very carefully into a buttered tray, and allow to cool until its firm to touch.
Once firm, score 3cm square size pieces then allow to fully set before tipping out of the tin.
Share with the rest of your household and enjoy!
