Traditional Scottish Tablet Recipe | Carnation (2024)

FAQs

What is a traditional Scottish tablet made of? ›

How is Scottish tablet made? To make Scottish tablet, sugar, condensed milk, butter, and vanilla extract (optional) are boiled together in a pan until the mixture reaches the correct temperature and consistency. The mixture is then poured into a tray and left to set. Once set, the tablet is cut into bite-sized pieces.

Ingredients: Scottish tablet is typically made with sugar, condensed milk, butter, and sometimes vanilla extract. Scottish fudge, on the other hand, often contains sugar, butter, cream, and milk, and may also include flavours such as chocolate or nuts.

Tablet is over 50% sugar and because sugar is a natural preservative, it means that if it is kept in an airtight tin and stored at room temperature, it can last for around 10 days. If you keep it in the fridge, however, it can keep for a few weeks!

A grainy texture normally means that your sugar has melted too quickly. So if you'd prefer it to be a little smoother then it's down to beating. Give it a little more elbow grease!

You've cooked the Tablet too fast. One of the most important things about making Scottish Tablet is patience! If you try to cook your Tablet too fast your sugar won't dissolve. Tablet is over 50% sugar, so while you want to create tasty Scottish Sweets you need to give it time to melt and cook properly.

A small piece after dinner can round off a meal beautifully, or a tiny square with your afternoon tea can turn a routine break into a special occasion. The beauty of this treat is in its richness; you don't need much to feel satisfied. But why stop at the traditional way? Scottish Tablet is incredibly versatile.

The most common reason for this is that you haven't taken your tablet to a high enough temperature when cooking it. The Scottish Tablet mixture needs to be not only boiling for a decent time (approx. 20 mins), it also needs to reach a very high temperature to ensure it will set.

If you pour it into the tin and it doesn't set, don't worry, just reboil for a little while longer (I've done this a few times) Also good with a bit of fresh ginger added at the beginning, flavours the tablet beautifully and leaves little exciting nuggets to bite into!

Remove the pan from the heat leave to cool for 5 minutes, then beat until set. Pour into the tin and leave to set fully in the fridge for 2 or more hours. Then remove from the tin and cut into squares.

Some people will try to tell you that tablet is a form of fudge. However, proper tablet aficionados (and we have been doing a lot of sampling) will tell you that there is a clear difference in texture between tablet and fudge. Fudge tends to be softer, while tablet has a grainier and more brittle texture.

What do you do if your Scottish tablet doesn't set? ›

If your Tablet still doesn't set, it is possible to pour it back in a pan, reheat, and start the process again. It can turn out a bit more sugary/grainy, but at least you'll still get Tablet!

Product Shelf LifeThis Tablet product comes with a minimum of 5 weeks shelf life and a maximum of 8 weeks.

INGREDIENTS: Sugar, Whole MILK, Butter (8%) ( MILK), Sweetened Condensed MILK, Glucose Syrup. For Allergens: see ingredients in bold. May also contain Nuts. Gluten Free, suitable for Vegetarians.

If your Scottish Tablet tastes sugary and grainy, or doesn't set, you can pop it back in the saucepan, melt it down slowly and boil it a little longer.