Scottish Cranachan
Cranachan is a traditional Scottish dessert made of cream, raspberries, a little honey, toasted oats and of course whiskey.
Cranachan was originally made as a celebration of harvest, made when raspberries were in season. Now served year-round, it’s pretty presentation makes it a popular dessert to celebrate special occasions, especially Christmas, Hogmanay and of course as a perfect finish to a Burns Night Supper.
No need to wait for a special occasion though, cranachan is so quick and easy to make it’s a perfect dessert anytime, but especially when sweet raspberries are in season.
Cranachan may be assembled and served in one large serving dish, a little bit like a trifle, or served in individual glasses, layered like a parfait, or slightly more deconstructed.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup steel-cut oatmeal
- 2 cups raspberries
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp malt whisky
- 3 tbsp honey plus more for drizzling
Instructions
- Toast the oats n a cast iron or heavy pan until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Keep checking them continuously so they don’t burn! Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
- Select 8-12 of the best whole raspberries and set aside to use as garnish.Place the remaining raspberries in a bowl and lightly crust with a fork or spatula. Add a teaspoon of sugar, one tablespoon of honey, and one tablespoon of whiskey to the crushed raspberries, mix well and set aside.
- Whip the cream until it reaches the soft peak stage. Add two tablespoons of honey, and two tablespoons of whisky to the cream and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Taste, and add more honey or whiskey as needed. Fold in the toasted oats, reserving a teaspoon of oats for garnish.
- To assemble the cranachan, divide half of the crushed raspberries between four dessert glasses. Top with a layer of the whipped cream mixture, then repeat the layers.Cover the glasses and refrigerate 30 – 60 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before serving.
- To serve, sprinkle on the reserved toasted oats, top with 2-3 whole raspberries and a little drizzle of honey.
Notes
- Cranachan is best when made fairly close to when you will be serving. For best results chill for a minimum of 30 minutes, maximum one hour ,then remove from the refrigerator 15 -20 minutes before serving.
- When making cranachan for children, omit the whiskey, and add 1 tsp of vanilla to the whipped cream.