Scottish Tablet Fudge Candy For Sweet Tooth Food

SCOTTISH TABLET (FUDGE) - CANDY FOR SWEET TOOTH

Steps:

• On a low heat slowly heat the sugar, syrup, butter and milk in a large heavy bottomed pan until all the sugar is dissolved.
• It is quite important to make sure the sugar is dissolved before turning up the heat as it will not set properly. Hints to make sure all the sugar dissolved. Clean round the side of the pan with a pastry brush and boiling water. Dip a desert spoon in to the sugar liquid and if it comes out with no grains of sugar then the sugar is dissolved. Another test is to listen when stirring with wooden spoon to hear if the sound is grainy if it no longer sounds grainy then the sugar is dissolved.
• Bring to Boil until the temperature reaches soft-ball stage (240º F or 115º C). Soft Ball Stage is when a spoonful of hot syrup is dropped into a bowl of very cold water. Then using your fingers in the water, take the cooled syrup and form it into a ball. If it has reached soft-ball stage, the syrup can be easily rolled in the cold water into a soft ball that doesn't hold its shape.
• When the mixture has reached the correct temperature take the pan off the heat.
• Add the vanilla.
• Beat the mixture until it is grainy. This is a faint sound that is made from the mixture against the pan when it has been beaten and slightly cooler.
• Pour into a Swiss roll tray.
• Leave to cool.
• When part set mark into portions. Either bite size or rectangles (6x8cm).
• Continue to leave the mixture until it is cold and set completely.
• Can store in an airtight container for up to 1 month (if you put a padlock on it and don't eat it yourself).
• Serving suggestions :- Wrap the rectangular portions in greaseproof paper or put the bite size pieces into a pretty box lined with greaseproof paper and give as a gift.

SCOTTISH WHISKY TABLET (FUDGE)

Steps:

• On a low heat slowly heat the sugar, syrup, butter and milk in a large heavy bottomed pan until all the sugar is dissolved.
• It is quite important to make sure the sugar is dissolved before turning up the heat as it will not set properly. Hints to make sure all the sugar dissolved. Clean round the side of the pan with a pastry brush and boiling water. Dip a desert spoon in to the sugar liquid and if it comes out with no grains of sugar then the sugar is dissolved. Another test is to listen when stirring with wooden spoon to hear if the sound is grainy if it no longer sounds grainy then the sugar is dissolved.
• When the sugar has disolved add the whisky.
• Bring to Boil until the temperature reaches soft-ball stage (240º F or 115º C). Soft Ball Stage is when a spoonful of hot syrup is dropped into a bowl of very cold water. Then using your fingers in the water, take the cooled syrup and form it into a ball. If it has reached soft-ball stage, the syrup can be easily rolled in the cold water into a soft ball that doesn't hold its shape.
• When the mixture has reached the correct temperature take the pan off the heat.
• Beat the mixture until it is grainy. This is a faint sound that is made from the mixture against the pan when it has been beaten and slightly cooler.
• Pour into a Swiss roll tray.
• Leave to cool.
• When part set mark into bite size portions.
• Continue to leave the mixture until it is cold and set completely.
• Can store in an airtight container for up to 1 month (if you put a padlock on it and don't eat it yourself).

SCOTTISH TABLET (FUDGE)

Steps:

• 1. Melt the butter in a large pot; add sugar and milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. It will take about 45 minutes to thicken and deepen in color.
• 2. After it thickens, remove it from and heat and beat it with a wooden spoon very vigourously for 15 minutes. Turn it out into a greased 9x13 pan and mark it into squares with a knife.
• 3. When the fudge is cool but still soft, cut into 1" squares. Store in an airtight container.
• 4. NOTE: If you can't find Demarara sugar in your supermarket, try Amazon.com. I'm told theirs is cheaper. Some recipes use caster sugar, and you can make your own by pulsing granulated sugar in the food processor until it is very fine (but don't let it turn to powder).

SCOTTISH TABLET

Steps:

• Lightly grease a baking tray (11 x 19 inches works well) with butter and set aside.
• Put the sugar and milk into a fairly large, preferably heavy stainless steel saucepan (mixture will double in quantity as it heats). Stir together. Add the butter and condensed milk and stir again.
• Put pan on medium-high heat and bring mixture to the boil (this usually takes somewhere around 10 mins), stirring occasionally. Once mixture comes to the boil, reduce the heat until mixture is boiling gently.
• Continue to let it boil for around 20 - 30 minutes, still stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from the heat and add Vanilla Essence... and now comes the 'elbow grease'... beat the mixture vigorously for 4 - 5 minutes, or until the mixture starts to feel more 'stiff' and 'gritty' under the spoon.
• At this point the Tablet is ready to be poured into the baking tray you prepared at the beginning. Allow mixture to cool a little and then mark it off into bars, or squares with a sharp knife. Tablet is ready to eat when fully cooled.
• NOTES: This Scottish Tablet recipe is pretty straightforward, but it can take a few tries to get it 'just right'. But the good news is that even the 'rejects' usually taste great! The boiling mixture will be VERY HOT, and can burn you quite badly if it sticks to your skin. Be careful while stirring the mixture, and stand well back as you remove it from the heat towards the end of the recipe. Tablet hardens quickly once it's removed from the heat, so soak the pan in warm, soapy water as soon as you've emptied its' contents into the baking tray. Scottish tablet is a delicious fudge-like sweet (candy), that's irresistible if you have a sweet-tooth. Tablet is tricky to describe as it's not soft like fudge, or chewy like toffee, it's more crumbly and 'sugary' in texture.

SCOTTISH TABLET

Steps:

• Line a 22 x 18cm tray with baking parchment. Put the butter and 150ml water in a pan over a low heat, and melt the butter (don't let the water boil). Tip in the sugar and dissolve, stirring often.
• Bring the water to the boil, turn down to a simmer, then add the condensed milk. The mixture will be a light creamy colour.
• Cook for 20-30 mins, stirring often, until the mixture is thick and a deep caramel colour.
• To test, drop a little mixture onto a cold side plate, it should not run and should be thick and sticky after 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and beat for 10-15 mins until it has slightly thickened. Pour into the prepared tin and leave to cool for 30 mins before cutting into squares.

SWEET SCOTTISH TABLET

Steps:

• Grease and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine sugar and milk in a large stainless steel pan; stir well. Add sweetened condensed milk and butter; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until mixture turns a deep tan color and is thickened, about 10 minutes. Heat to 240 degrees F (115 degrees C) or until a small amount of mixture dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.
• Vigorously stir mixture, scraping sides down and mixing well. Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Allow to cool at room temperature until set, 1 to 3 hours. Cut into small squares or "tablets".

PERFECT SCOTTISH TABLET

Steps:

• 1. Grease a shallow tin approx. 25cm X 35cm.
• 2. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based pan (as tall as you have) over a low heat. Add the sugar, salt and milk and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer over a fairly high heat for eight minutes.
• 3. Add the condensed milk, stir well, then turn the heat down and let it simmer for about another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Start testing at this point: once it reaches 115C, it's done. (Alternatively, dribble some of the mixture on to a cold saucer. Leave for a couple of minutes, then push it with your finger; if it sets, it's done.)
• 4. Take off the heat, add any flavourings, if using, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon or electric beaters until thickened but still pourable (about 10 minutes if done manually, less with beaters). Pour into the prepared tin and leave to set, scoring squares after about 20 minutes. It is best left out to dry slightly overnight.