Thank you for this recipe! I’m teaching a group of teenage girls about connecting with their ancestors and having Scottish ancestors myself, thought it would be fun to bring a little treat representing that part of my family history. Although I’ve been to Scotland, I’ve never tried Tablet before but figured you really can not go wrong with butter, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk! When I try and explain it to people who’ve never heard of it or tasted it, I usually compare it to fudge, and I have heard it called Scottish fudge before, although it has a medium-hard texture rather than soft as a fudge usually does. This award winning Festive Spiced fudge made with a subtle blend of festive fruits & spices with a hint of warming brandy for a rich and indulgent treat. The recipe also makes quite a lot, and Tablet always makes a great gift… if you can bear to part with it! Other Scottish Classics After numerous people had told me that I just had to try it, when I finally did, I wasn’t disappointed. Instead, I wondered what took me so long!

Other essences, like the floral ones, can be added near the end once removed from the heat and just before you beat it. Chocolate would completely change the taste, but you could add some cocoa powder to the recipe if you want to give it a go. Tablet is well known to be temperamental, and it’s no surprise we’ve had many questions since we released this recipe! My first Christmas, someone finally bought me some, and I realised I had been missing out big time! After it’s been sitting about 20 minutes or so you can scour the top with lines for where you’ll cut later. This means you’ll get neater lines, as it can shatter if you just try and cut it without the lines.You should leave it to set further for at least 2-3 hours or overnight if you can keep people away from it for that long!The setting point of Tablet is 120 degrees Celcius if you want to use a thermometer. This means you use a candy thermometer to get it to that point and know it will set. Alongside other Scottish classics like Cranachan, Stovies, Scottish Macaroons, and Clootie Dumpling, Tablet is one of the Scottish dishes you just have to try. As noted above, I used the microwave in the first part of this recipe. This is a little controversial! Tablet purists might say that it should all be done in a pan on the stove. You need to have a big pot because as the tablet mixture rises with heat and comes to a boil it’ll expand. I learnt this the hard way. As you can see, I only just managed to keep it in the pot!

Based on these, we’ve compiled these top tips. There is some further explanation above throughout the recipe method, but these will get you started. It’s delicious sugary goodness, and seriously addictive. Not so good for the waistline, but definitely the perfect treat when you want something sweet! When I first moved here, I heard rumours of this delicious traditional sweet treat that everyone seemed to love. It was called “Tablet”, which explained absolutely nothing about what it is, so I didn’t exactly rush out and try to find some.

Product categories

There’s no getting away from it; Tablet is definitely not diet-friendly! It requires a lot of sugar, but I firmly believe we all deserve a treat now and then, so why not Tablet?

The Tablet recipe then calls for a “brisk simmer” for about 20 minutes which means not fully boiling but not on a low heat either.

How we make a difference

Traditionally this was done with a wooden spoon, and that’s how I’ve always done it too, but I know some people do use an electric beater as well. You can put it in the pot you intend to use on the stove, however, and just melt it together on low heat, ensuring it doesn’t catch on the pan or burn. Allow the mixture to really bubble up and reach boiling point for a few minutes before turning it down to simmer. If it doesn’t get hot enough, it won’t set. I like to transfer the melted butter, milk, and sugar mix to the pan to finish the recipe because I think it gives it a better taste. From here, you need to bring it all to a boil. This is a really important step because if you don’t get the mixture hot enough, the Tablet won’t set properly later on.

I also realised we have something really similar in New Zealand called Russian Fudge (although I can’t seem to find any reason why it’s called that, and all recipes seem to originate in New Zealand). It’s essentially the same but with Golden Syrup added to it as well.Margaret always melts the butter, sugar, and milk together in the microwave, and I find that much easier to do that.