After an unusually mild fall, I found raspberries at my local farmers market in October. Although raspberries now are available in the supermarket year-round, these were different. They were delicate, sweet and fragrant and I wanted to make sure that they were the star ingredient of dessert that night.
Raspberries are a key component of a Scottish dessert called cranachan. It is similar to a trifle and is made of five basic ingredients – raspberries, oats, whisky, whipped cream, and honey (preferably heather honey) – layered in small glasses. Cranachan originally was a breakfast dish made with a cheese called crowdie – which is slightly firmer and more sour than cottage cheese – which is now swapped for easier to find heavy or double cream in modern recipes. This is why this dessert is also known as cream crowdie in some parts of Scotland.
Cranachan used to be made during the raspberry harvest, which is June in Scotland. As raspberries now are available in supermarkets all year, it is a common and popular dessert at any time.
Cranachan is simple and quick to make. The recipe is also highly adaptable and can be altered easily to your taste preferences.
Here are some step by step instructions for making cranachan:
Measure all of the ingredients. This will ensure a smoother and faster process.
Place the oats in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and then in a preheated oven. Toast the oats for 5-7 minutes or until they smell fragrant and nutty and have changed slightly in color. Keep checking them continuously so they don’t burn. Cool the oats completely before using. Although any kind of oats can be used, steel-cut or pinhead oats are traditional and provide more texture and crunch to the dessert.
Set aside a third of the whole raspberries for garnish when assembling. Place the remaining raspberries in a bowl, adding a spoon of sugar if the berries are too tart or out of season (Scottish raspberries are sweeter that those grown in other places and they usually do not need additional sugar). Crush the berries with a fork until smooth and even in consistency and set aside.
In a large, clean bowl, whip the full-fat heavy cream, whisky and honey until stiff peaks form. If serving children, replace the whisky with vanilla extract. It is important for the cream to be firm to prevent it from becoming too runny when the dessert is assembled.
Set aside a portion of oats for garnish when assembling the dessert. Place the remaining oats into the cream and fold until combined.
To assemble the dessert, spoon a layer of cream, then a layer of crushed raspberries, and another layer of cream into 4 small glasses. Top the glasses with fresh raspberries and a spoon of leftover toasted oats. A traditional way to serve cranachan is to place the bowls of the various components on a table along with dessert dishes, allowing your dinner guests to assemble the dessert to their own taste.
Serve immediately. The light, boozy cream contrasts perfectly with the tangy raspberries. You also can cover and refrigerate the cranachan for later, but the dessert does not keep more than several hours. The oats will soften and the cream will become more boozy over time.
