Traditional Scottish Recipes

Abernethy Biscuits
Surprisingly, Abernethy biscuits do not get their name from the town in Perthshire but from a Dr Abernethy who suggested the addition of caraway seeds and sugar to plain biscuits. And of course a "biscuit" in America is a "cookie"! Ingredients: 8 oz plain flour 3 oz caster sugar (granulated will do) 3 oz butter Half a level teaspoon baking powder Half a level teaspoon of caraway seeds One tablespoon milk One standard egg Method: Sift the flour and baking powder and rub in the butter until it is thoroughly mixed. Mix in the sugar and caraway seeds and then add the egg and milk to make a stiff dough. Roll the mixture on a floured surface until it is the thickness required for a biscuit/cookie. Cut out with a three-inch plain cutter, rolling the trimmings to make more, as required. Prick the top of the biscuits with a fork and place on greased baking trays (cookie sheets) and bake in a preheated oven at 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5 for ten minutes until golden brown. After they have cooled, store in an airtight tin (unless you can't resist eating them all immediately!)

Apple Butterscotch Pie

Butterscotch is a brittle sweet (candy) made from sugar and butter which has long been popular. This pie is not brittle - but it's just as tasty and has meringue on top! Ingredients: A 22cm/9" pastry lined flan case Eating apples to fill the flan case completely 3 ounces (100g or scant cup) demerara (light brown) sugar 4 ounces (125g or two-thirds cup) granulated sugar 2 tablespoons plum jam 2 level tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons cream 3 eggs (one complete and two egg whites) Small pinch of salt Method: You can use a ready-prepared pastry flan case or make your own (see the flan case recipe page). Thinly slice the apples and fill the case completely. Beat together one egg and one tablespoon of cream. Mix this with the brown sugar, flour and pinch of salt. Spread this mixture over the apples and bake in a preheated oven at 220C/425F/Gas mark 7 for ten minutes. Then reduce the heat to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4 for a further 20 minutes or so, until the apples are soft. Make a meringue topping by placing two egg whites in a dry bowl and beat with an electric whisk until firm peaks form. Add the white sugar gradually, beating constantly until the mixture is thick and glossy and all the sugar has dissolved. Spread the plum jam over the apple and then spoon the meringue over the filling. Swirl into peaks with a fork or flat-bladed knife. Bake for a further 20 minutes or so until the meringue is lightly golden. Serve cold.

Apple Scone
There are many different varieties of scone - this one uses finely chopped apple to supply its flavour. Main Ingredients: One medium cooking apple 8 oz (250g or two cups) self raising flour (all-purpose flour with baking powder) teaspoon salt Level teaspoon baking powder 2 oz (60g or stick) butter 2 oz (60g or cup) castor (fine granulated) sugar Up to pint (150ml or half cup) milk Ingredients for glaze: A little milk 1oz demerara (light brown) sugar Method: Pre-heat the oven to 200C (400F or Gas Mark 6). Peel and core the apple and then finely chop. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Then rub in the butter followed by the sugar and chopped apple and mix. Add milk until you have a soft but not sticky dough. Roll out on a floured surface to about " thick and 8" round and mark into 8 wedges. Place on a greased baking sheet, brush the top with milk and sprinkle with the demerara (light brown) sugar. Bake in the pre-heated oven at 200C (400F or Gas Mark 6) for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with butter.

Arbroath Toasties
Arbroath is forever associated with smoked haddock, whether the recipe originated there or not. This recipe also uses egg and tasty cheese. Ingredients: 6 oz (175g) smoked haddock 6 fluid ounces (175ml or one third of a US cup) milk ounce (15g or 2 tablespoons) plain (all purpose) flour 1 ounce (25g or US cup) strong, hard, grated cheese One egg (separated into white and yolk) Salt, pepper, freshly ground black pepper, to taste 4 slices of buttered toast Method: Heat the smoked haddock in quarter pint (150ml or two-thirds US cup) of the milk in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook for about five minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove the fish with a fish slice and flake. Mix the flower with the rest of the milk and then stir into the milk in the saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook for two minutes, stirring continuously until thick. Stir in the cheese, egg yolk and flaked fish. Season to taste with salt, pepper, freshly ground black pepper, then heat through. Whisk the egg white until it is stiff and fold in with a metal spoon. Put the toast on a grill (broiler) rack and spoon the fish mixture onto each slice of toast. Place under a hot grill until it is lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Arran Potato Salad

Although Ayrshire is traditionally the county where the best potatoes are grown, Arran Chief is a particularly good, waxy variety, ideal for salads. Of course, you can use any available variety which produces a firm, waxy texture when cooked. Ingredients: 10 waxy potatoes, diced 4 ounces (100g) shelled fresh peas (or frozen peas) 4 ounces cooked beetroot (red beets) diced Salt and freshly ground black pepper Two teaspoons chopped onion One teaspoon chopped fresh parsley Four tablespoons (60ml) salad dressing or salad cream Fresh parsley to garnish Method: Boil the potatoes in salted water for ten minutes or until tender. Drain and pat dry. Cook the peas separately for about five minutes or until tender and then drain. While the vegetables are still warm, mix together and stir in the chopped parsley and onion and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the salad dressing (or salad cream) to moisten, and garnish with sprigs of fresh parsley.

Atholl Brose
There are a number of variations in making this drink which have been handed down over many generations. The brew is first recorded in 1475 when the Earl of Atholl was attempting to capture Iain MacDonald, Lord of the Isles who was leading a rebellion against the king. Hearing that MacDonald drank from a small well, the Earl ordered it to be filled with honey, whisky and oatmeal. MacDonald stayed sampling the concoction and was captured! Here is the traditional Atholl Brose, from a recipe made public by the Duke of Atholl some years ago. Ingredients: 3 rounded tablespoons of medium oatmeal 2 tablespoons heather honey Scotch whisky Method: The oatmeal is prepared by putting it into a basin and mixing with cold water until the consistency is that of a thick paste. Leave for half an hour and then put through a fine strainer, pressing with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Throw away the oatmeal and use the creamy liquor from the oatmeal for the brose. Mix four dessert spoonfuls of pure honey and four sherry glassfuls of the prepared oatmeal and stir well. (Purists insist on a silver spoon for stirring!) Put into a quart bottle and fill with malt whisky; shake before serving.

"Auld Reekie" Cock-a-Leekie Soup

The "Auld Reekie" does not refer to the soup being "smokey" but to the origins of the recipe in Edinburgh which used to be called Auld Reekie in the days of coal fires. Cock-a-Leekie soup makes a regular appearance in Scottish kitchens but this variation has a special ingredient - Scotch whisky! It will, as they say, "stick to your ribs". Ingredients: 3lb boiling chicken (giblets removed) 3 slices of streaky bacon 1lb shin of beef 2 lb leeks 1 large onion 5 fluid ounces Scotch whisky 4 pints water 1 level tablespoon dried tarragon Salt and pepper 8 pre-soaked prunes (optional but traditional!) Method: Mix the whisky, tarragon and sugar in the water. Chop up the bacon and place the chicken, bacon and beef in a large bowl and pour over the whisky marinade. Leave to soak overnight. Place the chicken etc in a large soup pot. Chop up the leeks (reserve one) and onion and add to the pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for two hours, removing any scum as required. Remove the chicken from the pot, remove skin and bones. Chop the meat into small pieces and return to the pot. Cut up the shin of beef, if required. Add the prunes and the last chopped leek and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. It will serve up to eight people.

Baked Brown Trout

Trout, freshly caught from the river, is a dependable dish to have in Scottish restaurants, especially in the Highlands. In this recipe the fish cooks in its own juices, with baking foil keeping it moist. Quantities below are for four people. Ingredients: Four half pound (250g) trout 4 tablespoons dry vermouth 2 tablespoons olive oil Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 sprigs of fresh herbs (dill, fennel, chives or parsley) 1 lemon Method: Clean the trout if required, remove the scales and fins and wipe with kitchen paper. Season the inside of the trout with salt and pepper and insert the herbs. Cut four pieces of kitchen foil into oval shapes which are long enough to take the fish plus an extra 3" (7cm) foil. Brush the foil with olive oil and place each trout in the centre. Brush the outside of the fish with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and pour a tablespoon of vermouth over each fish. Pull the foil up to make a boat shape for the fish and pleat over the top to totally enclose the fish, making sure it is pinched together. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 450F (230C or Gas Mark 8) for 8 to 10 minutes. The time will vary, depending on how plump the fish are. Check by opening up foil and examining the flesh at the thickest part. There should be no opaqueness or pinkness. The fish can be served in the foil with fresh vegetables.

Baked Cod and Egg

Egg sauce and cod blend together very well. They have been used in a number of traditional Scottish dishes. This one is simple to prepare. Ingredients: 4 cod fillets 2 ounces (60g or stick) butter 2 ounces (50g or cup) flour 1 pints (720ml or 3 cups) 3 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped 1 tablespoon butter Butter for coating the baking dish Pinch of nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste Method: Butter an oven-proof dish and arrange the cod fillets. Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour slowly and stir over a low heat. Add the milk gradually, whisking continuously until it is smooth and creamy. Continue heating over a low heat for 2/3 minutes. Then mix in the eggs, the extra tablespoon of butter, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Stir well over a low heat. Pour the egg sauce over the cod fillets and bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5. Serve with mashed/creamed potato.

Baked Salmon with Tarragon

Baking salmon in kitchen foil seals in the juices and flavour of the fish and the tarragon. Ingredients: 4 salmon fillets 1 small, finely chopped onion 2 slices of thin bacon, diced 3 ounces (90g or stick) butter Quarter teaspoon dried tarragon 2 tablespoons lemon juice Large sheet of buttered kitchen foil Double cream or crme frache Method: Pre-heat the oven to 400F (200C or Gas Mark 6). Fry the finely chopped onion in butter in a pan until soft and golden (but not burnt). Add the bacon and tarragon and cook for another two minutes; then stir in the lemon juice. Place a large piece of buttered kitchen foil in an ovenproof dish, place the salmon fillets on this and cover with the onion and bacon mixture. Fold over the foil and seal to make a parcel. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with a teaspoonful of thick cream or crme frache and fresh vegetables.

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Oatcakes/Bannocks
Oatcakes are a very traditional part of the Scottish diet. They were cooked on a griddle (a flat iron pot placed over the fire) but nowadays a heavy frying pan is used.

Ingredients 4 oz (125g) medium oatmeal 2 teaspoons melted fat (bacon fat, if available) 2 pinches of bicarbonate of soda Pinch of salt 3/4 tablespoons hot water Additional oatmeal for kneading Method Mix the oatmeal, salt and bicarbonate and pour in the melted fat into the centre of the mixture. Stir well, using a porridge stick if you have one and add enough water to make into a stiff paste. Cover a surface in oatmeal and turn the mixture onto this. Work quickly as the paste is difficult to work if it cools. Divide into two and roll one half into a ball and knead with hands covered in oatmeal to stop it sticking. Roll out to around quarter inch thick. Put a plate which is slightly smaller than the size of your pan over the flattened mixture and cut round to leave a circular oatcake. Cut into quarters (also called farls) and place in a heated pan which has been lightly greased. Cook for about 3 minutes until the edges curl slightly, turn, and cook the other side. Get ready with another oatcake while the first is being cooked. An alternative method of cooking is to bake them in an oven at Gas5/375F/190C for about 30 minutes or until brown at the edges. The quantities above will be enough for two bannocks about the size of a dessert plate. If you want more, do them in batches rather than making larger quantities of mixture. Store in a tin and reheat in a moderate oven when required.

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Barley Pudding
Barley crops up in a number of Scottish traditional recipes - from barley bannocks to malt whisky. Barley provides a distinctive flavour which comes through in this simple recipe. Ingredients: 8 ounces (225g or a generous US cupfull) barley 3 ounces (75g or one-third cup) currants 3 ounces (75g or one-third cup) raisins 1 pints (1 litre or 4 cups) water Pinch of salt Caster (superfine) sugar and single (light) cream to serve Method: Mix the barley and water in a heavy-based saucepan and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for one-and-a-half hours, stirring occasionally. Add the currants, raisins and salt and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with caster (superfine) sugar and the cream.

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Beef in Claret
Historically, there has been a long "French Connection" between Scotland and France. As a result, there has always been a fair amount of gastronomic interplay between the two countries. In particular, French wine, especially claret, was imported and used in cooking as well as being consumed in large quantities. Here is a recipe combining home produced beef with French claret. Ingredients for the trimmings: 5 oz (150g) lean bacon 6 to 8 small, young onions 14oz (400g or two cups) chopped button mushrooms Ingredients for the meat: 3lb (1 kg or six cups) stewing steak 4 tablespoons oil 5 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons flour 1 bottle of fruity young claret (Burgundy or Beaujolais) Salt and freshly milled black pepper 1 teaspoon sugar Bunch of fresh herbs Method: Cook the bacon in a frying pan until it is lightly brown. Add the onions and cook uncovered for roughly ten minutes. Then add the mushrooms, stir, cover and cook gently for a further ten minutes. Preheat the oven to 300F/150C/Gas Mark 2 Cut the stewing steak into cubes roughly 1" (4cm) square. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the cubes of meat. Place in a casserole, add the garlic and sprinkle the flour over the meat. Place in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes to continue the browning process. Stir from time to time. Add wine, light seasoning and herbs. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove from the oven and stir in the trimmings. Heat for a further five minutes and serve with boiled potatoes sprinkled with chopped parsley. If you have another bottle of Burgundy or Beaujolais to drink with the meal - so much the better!

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Black Bun
This is a traditional recipe for a treat which is often eaten at the end of the year at Hogmanay. But it needs to be made several weeks in advance so that it can mature. Indeed, it can be kept for up to six months if kept in an airtight container. Don't be put off by the formidable list of ingredients. It is relatively easy to make and every cook has his or her own variations on the ingredients. Ingredients for Pastry Case: 12 oz plain flour (3 cups) 3 oz lard (6 tablespoons) 3 oz butter or margarine (6 tablespoons) (Note that if you don't want to use lard, increase the butter/margarine by an equivalent amount) Pinch of salt, half teaspoon baking powder , cold water Ingredients for Filling: 1 lb seedless raisins (2 cups) 1 lb cleaned currants (2 cups 2 oz chopped, blanched almonds (Third of a cup) 2 oz chopped mixed peel ( cup) 6 oz plain flour (1 cups) 3 oz soft brown sugar (Third of a cup) One level teaspoon ground allspice Half level teaspoon each of ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking powder Generous pinch of black pepper One tablespoon brandy One large, beaten egg Milk to moisten Method: Grease an 8-inch loaf tin. Rub the fats into the flour and salt and then mix in enough cold water to make a stiff dough (remember, it is going to line the tin). Roll out the pastry and cut into six pieces, using the bottom, top and four sides of the tin as a rough guide. Press the bottom and four side pieces into the tin, pressing the overlaps to seal the pastry shell. Mix the raisins, currants, almonds, peel and sugar together. Sift in the flour, all the spices and baking powder and bind them together using the brandy and almost all the egg and add enough milk to moisten. Pack the filling into the lined tin and add the pastry lid, pinching the edges and using milk or egg to seal really well. Lightly prick the surface with a fork and make four holes to the bottom of the tin with a skewer. Depress the centre slightly (it will rise as it cooks). Brush the top with milk or the rest of the egg to create a glaze. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 325F/160C/Gas Mark 3 for 2 to 3 hours. Test with a skewer which should come out clean; if not, continue cooking. An uncooked cake sizzles if you listen closely! Cool in the tin and then turn onto a wire rack. Cool thoroughly before storing until Hogmanay.

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Brandy Wafers
The close historical relationship between Scotland and France meant that brandy was a well known alcoholic drink in the home of whisky. It was only after the Union of the Parliaments in 1707 that Portuguese port became more widely known. Ingredients: 2 ounces golden syrup (Light corn syrup is the nearest US equivalent) 2 ounces butter 2 ounces flour 2 ounces caster sugar (Fine granulated sugar) Half teaspoon brandy Half teaspoon ground ginger Method: Preheat the oven to 450F/250C/Gas Mark 8 and grease a baking sheet. Melt the butter, syrup and sugar over a gentle heat and then stir in the flour, ginger and brandy. Keep stirring for about five minutes. Drop small teaspoonsfuls onto the baking sheet, keeping them well apart. Bake for five minutes or until they are a pale golden brown. Using the greased handle of a large wooden spoon, roll the wafers round the handle while they are still hot - take care not to burn yourself! Allow to cool before use. They are excellent on their own or sticking out of ice cream.

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Broken Biscuit Cake

In the old days, when biscuits were sold loose, grocers sold mixed, broken biscuits at a lower price. This recipe was a good way of using them up and as a cake which requires no cooking, it can be easily made by the kids as well as experienced cooks. Ingredients: One pound plain chocolate One pound of butter or firm margarine One pound broken mixed biscuits Half pound chopped mixed roasted nuts One teaspoon vanilla a essence (extract) Method: Melt the butter and chocolate together and stir. Mix in the well broken biscuits, nuts and essence/extract and pour into a 10" by 15" baking tin, lined with greaseproof paper (vegetable parchment). Smooth to a level top and leave it to set. Cut into fingers (literally a finger thick).

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Butterscotch
That sweet tooth for which Scots have a reputation means that there are many traditional confectionary recipes. But quite why a brittle sweet (candy) made from butter and sugar should be named "Scotch" is lost in the mists of time. The ingredients below will make about one pound (450g) of butterscotch. Ingredients: One pound (500g or 2 cups) granulated sugar Quarter pint (150ml or two-thirds of a cup) water 3 ounces (90g or stick) unsalted (sweet) butter One teaspoon (5ml) lemon juice Quarter teaspoon (1.5ml) cream of tartar Quarter teaspoon (1.5ml) vanilla essence (extract) Oil for greasing a baking tin (pan) Method: Well oil an 11" x 7" (28cm x 18cm) shallow baking tin (pan). Put the water and lemon juice in a heavy-based saucepan and heat until slightly warm. Stir in the sugar and continue to heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the sugar has been thoroughly dissolved. Don't allow it to boil. Stir in the cream of tartar and bring to the boil to 115C/242F on a sugar thermometer (or until a teaspoonfull of the mixture forms a soft ball when it is dropped into a cup of cold water. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter. Return to the heat and boil to 138C/280F or when a teaspoon of the mixture forms a thin thread when dropped into a cup of cold water. (The thread will bend and break when pressed between the fingers) Remove from the heat and beat in the vanilla essence (extract). Pour into the oiled tin and leave until it is almost set. Then mark into small rectangles with a knife. When it is completely set, break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

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Caledonian Cream
Here is a refreshing dessert which uses marmalade, a popular ingredient in Scottish cooking since its invention in Dundee in 1797. Ingredients for the cream: 4oz cream cheese (about half a cup) 4 fluid ounces double cream (about half a cup) 1 tablespoon marmalade (thick, bitter marmalade is suggested but use what you have) 2 tablespoons brandy or rum 2 teaspoons lemon juice Sugar to taste Ingredients for base: 4 oranges, segmented and the pith removed Method: Blend all the ingredients for the cream in a liquidiser till smooth. Place the oranges in four longstemmed glasses and, if you want, add a teaspoon of brandy (or rum) to these. Add the cream on top. Garnish with some orange zest (boil for a few minutes in water to reduce the bitterness). Serve chilled.

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Caramel Shortbread
Caramel Shortcake is often called "Millionaires' Shortbread" - presumably because it is so rich. I have to confess this is one of my favourites when eating out anywhere which has "home baking" on the menu. Ingredients (Biscuit Base): 8oz (200g or two US cups) plain flour 6oz (150g or 1 US sticks) margarine 30z (75g or half US cup) caster (fine white) sugar Ingredients (Filling): 2oz (25g or US stick) margarine 2oz (25g or between a and a US cup) soft brown sugar A large tin of condensed milk Ingredients (Topping): 8oz (200g or one US cup) light brown chocolate Method: Rub the margarine and flour together in a bowl until you have a mix which is similar to breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Spread the mixture evenly into a 9" (23cm) square tin which has been lined with baking parchment. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170C/340F (160C/320F if fan assisted) for approximately 35 minutes until it is golden brown. Allow the base to cool. Heat the filling ingredients together in a pot, making sure that you stir it constantly (otherwise it will stick!) until it begins to simmer. Continue stirring until it thickens (which it should do in a few minutes). Spread the filling evenly over the base and again allow to cool. Melt the chocolate so that you can spread it over the filling. When it has cooled and you are ready to eat it, cut up into squares or rectangles with a sharp knife.

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Carrot Cake
Carrot cake is often found wherever "home baking" is advertised and there are many variations on the recipe. The ingredients below will make two, one pound cakes. Ingredients: 8 oz (2 cups) wholemeal flour 8 oz (2 cups) brown sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt Half a cup melted butter or oil 4 eggs Half cup chopped walnuts 14 ounces (3 cups) finely grated carrot Zest of an orange Ingredients for Icing: Half pound (two cups) icing sugar 3 oz cream cheese (under half a cup) One teaspoon vanilla essence (extract) 3 oz butter (Three quarters of a cup) Method: Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the walnuts and carrots, mixing well. Beat the eggs and them and the butter (or oil) and mix well. Pour the mixture into two, one pound rectangular loaf tins or one, two pound loaf tin. A nine inch round cake tin can also be used. Bake for an hour in a pre-heated oven at 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4 Make the icing by beating the ingredients together and, once the cake has cooled, decorate the top and the side with the icing.

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Carrot and Orange Soup

You could always open a can of carrot and orange soup but it would not taste nearly as good as this freshly made variety! And of course you can adjust the ingredients to get exactly the flavour you want. Ingredients: 1 chopped onion 1lb/450 grammes sliced carrots 2 ozs (65 grammes or stick) butter 2 ozs (65 grammes or cup) plain flour 1 pint (600ml or two and a half cups) chicken stock 1 pint (600ml or 2 cups, scant) milk 1 orange (juice and rind) Salt and pepper 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 oz (one rounded tablespoon) chopped parsley Method: Melt the butter and add the onions and carrots. Cook gently (without colouring) then stir in the flour and cook for a further 1/2 minutes. Gradually add the milk and chicken stock. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then simmer for 20/30 minutes. Liquidise before adding orange juice (including shredded rind) and reheat - but do not boil. Serve sprinkled with parsley

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Cauliflower and Cheddar Cheese Soup

This recipe is from John Webber at Nairns Cook School John Webber's Introduction to Vegetable Soups: We love soup and with more and more varieties it's a food worth getting to grips with in the kitchen. It's comforting to make and to eat. Especially with slices of freshly baked bread slathered with good, unsalted butter. At Nairn's we seldom use stock, relying instead on good technique to get the best flavours from the ingredients. Use a ratio of approximately 25% onion to the vegetable ingredient. Cut the vegetables into the smallest pieces. This reduces cooking time. Always add boiling water to the vegetables as this reduces the time the soup is off the boil, and thus lose its freshness. Once cooked, liquidise the soup and cool it. This keeps its quality and flavour. It's much easier to make a big batch of soup. You can freeze it in handy portions. Reliquidise once it is defrosted and reheated. The soup is cooked once the vegetables are tender. Cooking times for different vegetables are: Broccoli - 10 minutes Carrot - 45 minutes Artichoke - 35 minutes Cauliflower - 45 minutes Mushroom - 45 minutes Parsnip - 50 minutes Pea - 3 minutes Spinach - 5 minutes Tomato - 20 minutes Watercress - 2 minutes Ingredients for Cauliflower and Cheese Soup (sufficient for four people): 1 medium onion 1 clove garlic 40g (1.5 ounces or one-third US stick) butter 1 large cauliflower 1 tablespoon grain mustard 900 ml boiling water 50 ml double cream 50 g (2oz) grated cheddar cheese (ideally Scottish, Isle of Mull) Fresh flat leaf parsley to garnish Method: Heat the butter in a large pan. Add the onion and the garlic and leave on a medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes, until they are soft and clear. Whilst the onion and garlic are softening, chop the cauliflower as fine as possible. Add the

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cauliflower into the onion mix then stir in the boiling water. Bring back to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir the soup well and add the grain mustard and the grated cheese. Adjust seasoning to taste. Blend the soup with the cream in a liquidiser. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Cauliflower Cheese and Whisky

Cheese was often made in individual farmhouses and was combined with cauliflowers grown either in the fields or in the kitchen garden. Adding a few ounces of whisky adds an extra flavour to this popular dish. Ingredients: One medium cauliflower 6 ounces (185g) finely chopped mushrooms Half of a finely chopped green pepper Half UK pint (10 fluid ounces or 300ml or one and a quarter cups double cream). Note that UK and US pints differ. 4 ounces grated cheese. Use cheese with a good flavour. 3 fluid ounces (80 ml or six tablespoons or less than half a US cup) Scotch whisky 1 ounce fine oatmeal Pinch of nutmeg Salt and pepper 2 ounces (60g or half a US cup) chopped, mixed nuts Method: Remove the cauliflower stalks and cook the florets in hot water for five minutes. Drain and put into an ovenproof dish with the chopped mushrooms and green peppers mixed in. Heat the cream gently in a small pan, add the cheese, stirring frequently. When the cheese has melted, remove from the heat and mix in the whisky and oatmeal. Add salt and pepper to taste and the pinch of nutmeg. Pour over the cauliflower and sprinkle the chopped nuts on top. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 for 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

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Cheese Scones
This is a tasty variation on the standard scones which are served at tea time. Ingredients: 6oz (180g or 1 US cups) self raising flour 1oz (30g or stick) butter 1 large egg 2 or 2 tbsp milk 4oz (125g or one stick) grated cheese (use whatever strength you prefer) tsp salt tsp mustard powder Cayenne pepper to taste Method: Mix the flour, salt and pepper together. Rub in the butter and then mix in the cheese. Beat the egg and add in the milk; add mixture to the dry ingredients to make a soft, elastic dough. Roll out the mixture on a floured surface but not too thinly. Cut into round shapes and place on a well greased tray. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle a little extra cheese and pepper on top. Bake in a pre-heated oven on a high shelf at 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7 until golden brown. Serve warm with butter.

Chicken Bonnie Prince Charlie

The recipe for Drambuie (which gives this dish its flavour) is said to have been given to members of the MacKinnon clan in gratitude for their help after Culloden. The honey-sweet golden drink is enjoyed by millions around the world - and adds flavour to many recipes. Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts, skinned and boned 2 or 3 tablespoons of Drambuie 8 tablespoons (4 fluid ounces or 125ml or US half cup) chicken stock 8 fluid ounces (250ml or one US cup) double cream (whipping cream) 3 ounces (125g or stick) butter 1 ounce (25 g) flaked almonds 4 apples A little flour, salt and pepper Method: Flour and season the chicken breasts and fry in hot butter in both sides. When they are well browned, sprinkle with Drambuie, add the chicken stock, cover and simmer for ten minutes.

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While the chicken is cooking, peel and core the apples. Cut them into thick slices and cook gently in butter until fairly soft - do not stir to avoid mashing. Remove the chicken to a serving dish, when ready, and keep warm in the oven. Make the sauce by adding more Drambuie, if required, to the stock left in the pan and gently stir in the cream. Heat but do not boil. Add the roasted flaked almonds. Cover the chicken with this sauce and garnish with the sliced apple.

Chicken in the Heather

Here is a simple recipe using clear heather honey and other flavours to create a tasty roast chicken dish. While heather honey is the best, other clear honey will suffice. Ingredients: One whole chicken, minus giblets 3 fluid ounces (90ml or under half a cup) light cooking oil 4 fluid ounces (125g or half cup) clear heather honey Salt and pepper (freshly ground black pepper if you have it) 3 ounces (100g) French mustard Half teaspoon curry powder (yes, curry powder) One clove chopped garlic Method: Place the chicken in an oven-proof casserole dish. Mix all the other ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Cover the dish and cook in a pre-heated oven at 375F/190C/Gas Mark 4 for an hour. Baste the chicken thoroughly with the juices and sauce and return to the oven for another half hour uncovered. The chicken will brown as a result. Serve with boiled or creamed/mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables.

Chocolate Fudge
Fudge (and tablet) is a popular form of sweet confection in Scotland - and it sells particularly well in tourist shops. It can have many flavours added to it, from various fruit essences to whisky. The one here uses vanilla but feel free to experiment! Unlike a number of fudge recipes, it does not involve boiling the ingredients. Ingredients: 3 ounces (90g or stick) full fat cream cheese 2 ounces (60g) chocolate, chopped into pieces 10 ounces (275g) sieved icing sugar (frosting)

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Salt to taste Vanilla essence to taste Method: Beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and then beat in the sieved sugar. Melt the chocolate in a basin over hot water. Allow the chocolate to cool but while still liquid, beat in the cheese and sugar mixture, together with the vanilla essence and salt. Press the mixture into a greased tin (measuring about 6x4) and smooth the top. Chill until smooth enough to cut into rough squares.

Chocolate, Orange and Whisky Mousse

Here's a delicious sweet to finish off any meal - the chocolate, orange and whisky make a deadly combination! The quantities given below are sufficient for six servings. Ingredients (Mousse): 8 ounces (250g) plain chocolate which has been broken into smaller pieces. 4 large eggs - separated into whites and yolks. 2 tablespoons Scotch whisky. Note that US tablespoons are smaller than those in the UK so you may want to adjust this UK measurement! 2 tablespoons double cream (whipping cream). If you adjust the amount of whisky, add a bit more cream too! Finely grated rind of one orange. Ingredients (topping): 5 fluid ounces (150ml or a generous half cup) double cream (whipping cream). 1 tablespoon Scotch whisky. Pinch of caster (fine) sugar. Finely cut orange rind for decoration. Method: Place the broken chocolate, whisky and cream in a heatproof bowl and sit in a pan of simmering hot water, stirring until melted. Important - don't allow the mixture to boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool but remain melted. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff. Beat the yolks with the finely grated orange rind. Stir the egg yolk mixture into the cooled chocolate cream. Then fold in the whisked egg whites. Spoon the mixture into six individual dishes/glasses and chill in the fridge for at least three hours. Just before serving, whip the cream for the topping with the whisky and sugar. Decorate the mousse with the cream and the orange rind.

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Chocolate Velvet Cream Pie

This pie has a base not of pastry but of crushed chocolate digestive biscuits (Graham crackers), mixed with melted butter. The filling contains cream cheese, and is smooth and silky in texture. Ingredients (serves 6-8) for the base: 250g (9 oz) packet dark chocolate digestive biscuits (Graham crackers in North America). 75g (3 oz) butter, melted and cooled Ingredients for the filling: 225g (8 oz or 2 US sticks) cream cheese 175g (6 oz or one cup scant) caster (fine granulated) sugar 5 ml (1 tsp.) vanilla essence 175g (6 oz) dark chocolate, melted 2 large egg yolks 300 ml (8 fluid ounces or one US cup) double cream 1 large egg white Method To make the base, crush the biscuit to crumbs in a blender or food processor, or in a polythene bag with a rolling pin. Mix together the biscuit crumbs and the cooled melted butter, and press round the base and sides of a 20-22.5cm (8-9inch) flan dish. Bake in the oven pre-heated to 180'c (350'f/gas mark 4) for 15 minutes. Remove and leave to cool. To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese and 100g (4 oz) of the caster sugar. Beat in the vanilla essence and the melted chocolate, and the egg yolk, one by one. Fold in the cream, whipped until it just holds its shape. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff, then, still whisking, add the remaining caster sugar a spoonful at a time. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour the mixture in to the cooled baked pie crust. Chill in the fridge for several hours until set.

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Chocolate Whisky Gateau

Here is a great cake which should prove to be popular at Christmas or Hogmanay (New Year) or indeed for any party celebration! Ingredients: 12 oz Plain Chocolate 6 oz Butter 6 oz Sugar 3 Eggs - Separated 2-3 drops Angostura Bitters 2-3 tbsp Whisky 12-16 Sponge Fingers 1 tbsp Water 0.5 pt Double Cream Stiffly Beaten Method: Line the sides of an 8" round loose-bottomed cake tin with sponge fingers. Melt chocolate, add water. Beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in egg yolks, angostura and whisky. Add the melted chocolate. Beat egg white stiffly and fold into mixture. Pour into lined pan. Chill overnight. Remove from cake tin, fill up center with cream, cover with a layer of grated chocolate. Serve in wedges.

Citrus Cake
Here is a tasty, tangy cake which is best made with pure juices of the citrus fruit. Cake Ingredients: 8oz (250g or one stick) margarine 8oz (250g or one and a quarter cups) caster sugar (or fine granulated sugar) 12oz (350g or three cups) self-raising flour (all-purpose flour with baking powder) 4 eggs 1 cup orange and lemon (or orange and lime) juice mixed Butter Cream Ingredients: 12oz (350g or 2 cups) icing sugar (frosting) 6oz (175g or 1 sticks) margarine 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or lime juice) Method: Preheat the oven to 160C (320F or Gas Mark 3) or 10C less if a fan assisted oven. Mix the margarine and sugar together and cream until light and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs, one

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at a time. Stir in the fruit juices and the flour and mix well. Pour the mixture into a cake tin measuring 8"x12"x1" (20cmx30cmx3.5cm) which has been lined with baking parchment and spread evenly. Bake in the pre-heated oven for roughly 35 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the tin before removal and storage in an air-tight container.

Clapshot
This is a simple traditional dish which originated in the Orkneys. Variations on this recipe are sold, ready made and microwaveable, in supermarkets in Scotland these days. It is often served with haggis, instead of separate "tatties and neeps." Ingredients: 1 pound boiled potatoes 1 pound boiled turnip 1 or 2 tablespoons chopped chives Salt and pepper 2 ounces butter or margarine Method: Beat the two vegetables together while still hot and mix in the butter, chives and seasoning. If necessary, continue to beat in a pot until it is piping hot before serving.

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Cloutie Dumpling
Sometimes spelt "Clootie" it gets its name from the "clout" or cloth in which it was traditionally boiled. This is a favourite at Christmas time and there have been many variations over the years as cooks have experimented. You may be glad to know that it doesn't have to be made in a "clout"! After the first recipe below, there is another Cloutie Dumpling recipe - this time a tried and tested one from "Granny Geal" - provided on the Scottish Culture Forum! Ingredients: 4 oz shredded suet or margarine (marge makes a lighter dumpling) 8 oz (2 cups) flour 4 oz oatmeal 3 oz sugar Rounded teaspoon baking powder 8 oz mixed currants/sultanas/chopped raisins One or 1 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and mixed spice One teaspoon golden syrup (light corn syrup is the closest in N America) 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 tablespoons buttermilk Method: Sift the flour and rub in the fat (suet or margarine) in a large mixing bowl. Add all the other dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon. Make a well in the centre and add the syrup and eggs and mix well. Add enough buttermilk to make a soft but firm batter. At Christmas, cooks often wrapped small coins (in the old days a silver three-penny piece was popular) in greaseproof paper and placed them in the dumpling. If you do add coins, warn those eating the dumpling later so as to avoid broken teeth! You now have a choice of container. The traditional way was with a cloth. Dip it first in boiling water and flour it well before adding the mixture. Tie the top, making sure there is enough room for expansion. Place a saucer or plate in the bottom of a saucepan and stand the dumpling in the cloth on top. Cover with boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 hours. Alternatively, you can use an 8-cup basin or pudding steamer which has been lightly greased with melted butter. Allow a one inch space at the top (even if this means throwing away some of the mixture - you need the sauce for expansion). Cover the steamer or basin with a greased sheet of foil and pour boiling water into the steamer until it comes two-thirds up the side. Boil for 3 hours. Turn out the dumpling and either serve hot with custard or cold with cream.

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Now here is another variation - Granny Geals's Special Clootie Dumpling! Ingredients: 4 oz. plain biscuits (Rich Tea type) 2 oz. fine flour 1/2 lb. currants (soaked overnight and drained) 1/2 lb. raisins 1/2 lb. finely shredded suet 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg 1/4 lb. sifted caster sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 blades of mace or 1/2 teaspoon ground mace) 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 oz. mixed candied lemon, orange and citron peel, chopped 2 oz. blanched almonds roughly chopped four eggs wineglass of brandy or white wine Method: Put the biscuits in a cloth and roll with a heavy rolling pin to crush thoroughly. Mix the fruit, peel, pounded biscuits, spices and nuts. Beat the eggs well and add a glass of brandy or wine. Then mix in the flour and the other dry ingredients. Scald a pudding cloth in boiling water and dredge lightly, but thoroughly with flour. Spoon the mixture into the cloth. You can get the traditional round shape by holding the cloth in a bowl large enough to support the mixture. Gather the ends of the cloth evenly and tie firmly with string, leaving enough room for the pudding to swell. Place an old plate in the bottom of a large saucepan, and place the cloth wrapped pudding on the plate. Cover with boiling water and simmer for three hours, turning the pudding from time to time and adding boiling water as required. When ready take out of the pot and cool for about 10 minutes before carefully removing the cloth. Cool completely before slicing.

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Cloutie Dumpling Parfait

This is a recipe from a renowned professional chef. The "cloutie" comes from the cloth in which the dumpling is cooked. Ingredients: Cloutie Dumpling: 6 oz (1 cups) self raising flour (All-purpose flour with baking powder) 6 oz (1 cups) brown breadcrumbs 6 oz (185g) suet 4 oz ( cup) currants 6 oz ( cup) sultanas 6 oz ( cup) raisins 1 tsp baking soda 4 oz soft dark brown sugar 2 tbsp syrup 1 cup milk dash of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon Iced Parfait 4 egg yolks Half pint double cream (whipping cream) 2 oz caster sugar (or fine granulated sugar) Few drops vanilla essence 1 tbsp Macallan single malt 6 oz (185g) white chocolate Method: Cloutie Dumpling : Mix all dry ingredients and blend with the milk and syrup. Boil a cotton tea towel in a large pot, remove, flour it well and place the dumpling mixture in the centre and tie with string - leave some space inside for expansion. Place the dumpling in pot of simmering water and poach for 2 and a half hours. Iced Parfait: Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl until sugar has dissolved. Bring the cream to a gentle simmer in a thick bottomed pan. Pour cream over the egg and sugar mixture, whisking gently as you pour. Return the mixture to a clean pan and cook slowly, stirring until the custard coats the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat. Blend the white chocolate until dissolved. Blend in the Macallan single malt and chill mixture for 30 minutes. Line a terrine dish or loaf tin with cling film. Chop the Clootie Dumpling into rough, large pieces and fold into the parfait mixture. Pour the mixture into a terrine dish, cover with cling film and freeze overnight.

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Cock-a-Leekie Soup
This traditional soup, with prunes included in the ingredients, is mentioned as early as the 16th century. It is often served at Burns Suppers or St Andrew's Night Dinner (30 November) as well as an every-day soup in winter. Some people omit the prunes though!

Ingredients:

1 boiling fowl, about 4lb, including legs and wings 1lb leeks (about 12) cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces 4 pints stock or water 1oz long grained rice 4oz cooked, stoned prunes One teaspoon brown sugar Salt and pepper Garni of bay leaf, parsley, thyme Some recipes also have 3 chopped rashers of streaky bacon Method: Put the fowl and bacon in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and remove any scum. Add three-quarters of the leeks, (green as well as white sections), herbs (tied together in a bundle), salt and pepper and return to the boil. Simmer gently for 2-3 hours, adding more water if necessary. Remove the bird. Some thrifty chefs use the bird as another course, others cut the meat into small pieces and add them back to the soup (certainly it should have some pieces of chicken in it when served). Add the rice and drained prunes and the remaining leeks and simmer for another 30 minutes. Check for flavour and serve with a little chopped parsley. Serves 6/8 people.

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Cocktails
Here are a few cocktail recipes, using some of Scotland's liquid gold. Be warned! Some of these pack a real punch! It is suggested that blended whisky is used - it's a waste to use good malt!

Flying Scotsman - Mix three glasses whisky, 2.5 glasses Italian Vermouth and add one tablespoon bitters and a tablespoon of sugar syrup. Hilton Fling - Mix a measure of Dubonnet with half a measure of Drambuie. Add a dash of orange bitters and a slice of orange. Rusty Nails - Mix a measure of Drambuie to a measure of whisky and stir well. Manor Punch - Mix a measure of whisky, Martini and a dash of Drambuie and serve with a cherry. You decide whether to shake or stir... Rob Roy - Mix a measure of whisky and Martini and add two dashes of Angostura bitters. Robbie Burns - Measure of whisky mixed with Martini and three dashes of Benedictine. Prince Charlie - Equal measures of Drambuie, Cognac and lemon juice. Flora Macdonald - Mix a measure of Drambuie and dry gin to two measures of French Vermouth. Wow! Whisky-Mac - The classic cocktail of equal parts whisky and green ginger wine or one part wine to two of whisky. Mix by holding the bottom of the glass and gently shaking.

Whisky or Drambuie Cocktails

Here are some more recipes for cocktails using whisky or Drambuie liqueur. Auld Nick - each drink has 50% whisky, 25% Drambuie and 12.5% of orange juice and 12.5% of lemon juice. Deansgate - One measure of Drambuie, one measure of lime juice and two measures of white rum. Ecstasy - equal measures of Drambuie, cognac and French Vermouth. Highland Fling - mix two measures of whisky to one of Italian Vermouth and add two dashes of orange bitters. Serve with an olive.

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Highland Milkmaid - using a spoon, gently add cream to the top of a generous serving of whisky. Isle of Skye - Equal measures of Drambuie, gin and lemon juice. Scottish Sparkle Punch - Mix a bottle of dry white wine, two-thirds of a cup of Drambuie and the juice of a lemon in a jug. Chill and, just before it is to be used, add a bottle of chilled sparkling wine and two cups of lemonade. Add plenty of ice before serving. Tam O' Shanter - 3 glasses of whisky, 2 glasses French Vermouth, half a glass of orange juice. Shake well, add a little nutmeg and serve with an olive.

Colcannon or Rumbledethumps
Recently, supermarkets in Scotland have started to stock a mass-produced version of this traditional potato and cabbage dish. In the Borders, it is known as Rumbledethumps and in Aberdeenshire it is known as Kailkenny (but using cream in place of butter). Other variations include adding a couple of boiled and mashed carrots and turnips as well as the basic ingredients. The dish originated in Ireland.

Ingredients: 1 pound boiled and mashed potatoes 1 pound boiled cabbage, drained 1 ounce butter (or margarine) Salt and black pepper Method: Mash the potatoes and finely chop the cabbage and mix in a large saucepan in which the butter has been melted. Keep the saucepan over a low heat to keep it hot. Season to taste and serve piping hot. The mixture can also be put into a greased oven-proof dish and cooked at 400F/200C/gas mark 6 until the top is browned.

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Corned Beef Souffl

Combining corned beef and eggs creates a nourishing, low-cost dish. The quantities below are sufficient for two people Ingredients: 6oz/175g lean corned beef Small can of tomatoes, drained 1 large onion, sliced 2 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons tomato juice Pinch of mixed herbs Method: Slice the corned beef and layer onions and tomatoes, sprinkled with tomato juice and herbs as you go. End with tomatoes. Pour the beaten eggs over the top and bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes. Serve with a salad.

Shepherd's Pie
In a land where sheep were a main food supply, it is not surprising that mutton and lamb form the basis of many Scottish dishes. Here is the traditional "Shepherd's Pie" - the variant based on beef is usually called "Cottage Pie".

Ingredients: Minced lamb - 450g (1 lb) Potatoes - 700g (1 lb) Large onion Mushrooms - 50g (2 oz) Bay leaf 2 Carrots Plain flour - 25g (1 oz) Tomato puree - 1 tbsp Butter - 25g (1 oz) Milk - 4 tbsp Lamb or beef stock - 300ml ( pint) Cheese - 50g (2 oz)

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Method: Dry fry the lamb with the chopped onion, bay leaf, sliced mushrooms and diced carrots for 8-10 minutes. Add the flour and stir for a minute. Slowly blend in the stock and tomato puree. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and boils. Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and place in a 1.7 litre (3 pint) ovenproof serving dish. At the same time, cook the potatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes until tender. Drain well, mash with the butter and milk and mix well. Spread on top of the mince mixture and sprinkle over with the grated cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F (Gas Mark 6). Serve hot with green vegetables

Country Egg Casserole

Here's a tasty recipe which is is full of healthy goodness with vegetables, eggs and cheese. The quantities below will serve four people. Ingredients: Sprigs from one medium cauliflower One pound (or less) leeks, cut into thin slices Half pound broccoli or green beans 6 ounces (185g or cup) grated cheese 6 eggs Half pint (10 fluid ounces or 300ml or just under one and a quarter cups) single cream Salt and pepper to taste One teaspoon mustard Butter for casserole dish Method: Cook the prepared vegetables in salted, boiling water for ten minutes or so. Butter the inside of a large, lidded casserole dish (to reduce sticking) and add the hot vegetables to it with most of the cheese mixed in. Whisk the eggs lightly with the cream and seasoning and pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Cover the casserole and bake at 300F/180C/Gas Mark 4 for 25/30 minutes until the egg custard is set.

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Crab Pt Pasta
This is a recipe from an Orkney company. Ingredients: 110g (3 ounces) crab pt 150g (5 ounces/1 cups US) dried pasta One tablespoon olive oil Half a bunch of spring onions, finely chopped 100g (3 ounces) Mascarpone cheese (or quantity to personal taste) One tablespoon dry sherry (optional) 20g (one ounce) coarsely grated Parmesan cheese Two tablespoons chopped parsley Ground black pepper to taste Method: Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water until it is al dente. While it is cooking, chop the spring onions and saut in the olive oil. Add the dry sherry, and allow this to warm up before adding the Mascarpone cheese. Finally, add the crab pt and stir well, until it is heated through, but do not allow to boil. When the pasta is cooked, drain and toss with the crab sauce in a large bowl. Cover the hot pasta and sauce with grated parmesan cheese and sprinkle with parsley and pepper. Serve with a crisp salad.

Cranachan Ingredients: 3 oz (half cup) pinhead or coarse oatmeal Half pint double cream 1 tablespoon Drambuie (optional) Method: Toast the oatmeal in a frying pan on a high heat until lightly brown. Whisk the cream into a soft consistency and mix in the oatmeal and Drambuie (alternatively, use a few drops vanilla essence or other flavouring of your choice). Serve in tall glasses. A popular variation is to mix in 6oz (one and a half cups) of fresh raspberries. Or use vanilla ice cream instead of cream.

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Cranachan with Raspberries and Shortbread

While the recipe uses Talisker whisky any light whisky will do fine. Ingredients: Cranachan: One pound (500 g) fresh raspberries Half pint of fresh double cream 1 tsp of thick heather honey 1 generous tbsp of Talisker whisky 1 heaped tbsp of toasted oatmeal Shortbread: 12 ounces (375g/3 cups) plain flour 4 ounces (125g/1 cup) white rice flour 12 ounces (375g or 3 sticks) slightly salted Scottish butter 4 ounces (125g or half cup scant) caster sugar (or fine granulated sugar) Method: Cranachan: Whisk the cream together with the honey and Talisker. Fold in the toasted oatmeal. Pile on top of fresh raspberries and serve with shortbread biscuits. Shortbread : Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Work the sifted flour and rice flour into the creamed mixture until it forms a firm paste. Knead it lightly on a well floured board. Roll it out until quite thin and cut biscuit shapes with the cutter of your choice. Using a palette knife, lift the biscuits onto a well buttered baking sheet. Bake on the centre shelf at Gas Mark 5/375F/190C until pale golden in colour. Remove from the oven and sprinkle liberally with caster (fine granulated) sugar while still warm. Lift on to wire tray to cool and firm-up. Store in an airtight tin.

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Crispie Mars Bars

Mars bars, with their nougat centre, toffee on top and covered with milk chocolate, are a favourite the world over. And the snap, crackle, pop of rice crispies are found everywhere, including Scotland. Put the two together and you get a treat that's enjoyed by children (big and small) everywhere. And not a deep fried Mars bar in sight! The conventional way to melt chocolate is to put it in a bowl above a pan of warm water but the recipe below suggests using a microwave - not very traditional, but effective! Ingredients: Three 65g (large) Mars bars, chopped up 3 ounces (90g or stick) margarine Three to four cups of rice crispies 8 ounces (250g) chocolate 1 ounce (30g or stick) margarine Method: Combine the 3 ounces of margarine and the chopped Mars bar pieces in a microwaveable bowl and melt on a medium heat. Do not overheat. Stir in the rice crispies until they are well covered by the mixture. If the mixture becomes too hard when you stir in the rice crispies, put back in the microwave for a few seconds. Line a 9" (23cm) square tin with greaseproof paper (vegetable parchment or waxed paper) and spread the mixture evenly into the tin. Melt the one ounce of margarine and all the chocolate in a microwaveable bowl on a medium heat and spread over the mixture in the tin. Do not overheat the chocolate. If you do, add two or three drops of cooking oil and beat with a spoon until it has smoothed out again. Allow the mixture and chocolate to cool and cut into squares.

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Scots Crumpets
These are soft pancake-like fare but made larger and more thinly than pancakes. They can be spread with butter and/or jam and they are traditionally rolled up before eating. The quantities below will make about 16 crumpets

Ingredients: 8 oz plain flour (2 cups all purpose flour) 2 tablespoons caster sugar/fine granulated sugar Pinch of salt 2 large eggs, separated into whites and yolks 2 tablespoons melted butter 15 oz milk- a pint in the US is 16 fluid oz; a UK pint is 20 fluid oz. Note: American tablespoons hold 14.2ml compared to UK 17.7ml Method: Beat the egg yolks and blend in the sifted flour, sugar, salt. Then add in the melted butter and milk to make a thin batter about the consistency of thin cream. Beat the egg whites to the soft peak stage and quickly add to the batter, folding with a knife or metal spoon. Heat a lightly greased gridle or a frying pan and pour in large spoonfuls of the batter. Each crumpet should spread thinly to about 4/5" in diameter and you may have to roll the pan to achieve this. When the batter is brown underneath and slightly bubbly on top, turn and cook on the other side. Keep them warm by stacking on a clean tea towel and eat soon after.

Cullen Skink
The name of this rich, tasty soup comes from the fishing village of Cullen, in Morayshire. "Skink" is a soup made originally from a shin of beef. But in this case, the main ingredient is smoked haddock. Ingredients: A large smoked haddock (weighing around 2 lb) 1 medium onion, finely chopped. 1 pints (900ml) milk 2 tablespoons butter 8 oz mashed potato Salt and pepper 1 bay leaf Chopped parsley

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Water Triangles of toast (as an accompaniment) Method Cover the smoked haddock with water, in a shallow pan, skin side down. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4/5 minutes, turning once. Take the haddock from the pan and remove the skin and bones. Break up the fish into flakes, return to the stock and add the chopped onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15 minutes. Strain, remove the bay leaf but retain the stock and fish. Add the milk to the fish stock and bring back to the boil. Add enough mashed potato to create the consistency you prefer (don't be afraid to make it rich and thick!). Add the fish and reheat. Check for seasoning. Just before serving, add the butter in small pieces so that it runs through the soup. Serve with chopped parsley on top, accompanied by triangles of toast.

Date and Walnut Loaf

This is a popular cake in tea rooms around Scotland which provide "home baking". The ingredients below will make a large loaf - you can divide into two smaller cake tins and bake for a slightly shorter time. Ingredients: cup of boiling water One cup of cooking dates, de-stoned and chopped One teaspoon baking soda/bicarbonate of soda 4 ounces/125g/one stick margarine 4 ounces/125g/ cup sugar One egg lb/250g/two cups plain flour Half a cup broken walnuts Few drops vanilla essence Method: Pour the boiling water over the dates and baking soda and allow to stand. Beat the margarine and sugar together, then add the egg and then the flour and mix well. Stir in the dates and the liquid, add a few drops of vanilla essence and mix well. Bake in a greased and lined loaf tin in a pre-heated oven for an hour at 325F/170C/Gas Mark 3.

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Diet Loaf
Here is a very light sponge which was known in the days of Sir Walter Scott (he mentions it in his novel "St Ronan's Well"). Ingredients: One pound caster sugar (granulated sugar) 8 ounces soft butter 6 eggs (size 3) 12 ounces (350g - nearly 4 cups) sifted plain flour (all purpose in the US) Half teaspoon ground cinnamon Finely grated lemon peel Method: Whisk the eggs thoroughly. Cream the butter and sugar to make it light and frothy and slowly beat in the whisked eggs. Add the lemon rind and cinnamon and then gradually beat in the flour, beating continually to ensure the mixture is kept light. Line a large cake tin with well greased paper (vegetable parchment in the US) and pour in the mixture. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5 for 35 minutes until golden brown and well risen. You can sprinkle icing sugar (frosting) on top five minutes before removing it from the oven. Allow to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin and cool on a wire rack. Some people add a layer of icing (frosting) to the top once it is cold - but that is rather at variance with the title of "Diet Loaf".

Dornoch Dreams
Whether these buns originated in Dornoch is perhaps questionable - but the alliteration is good! And so is the end result, flavoured as it is with Drambuie liqueur and raspberries! Ingredients: 2 ounces (50g or US half stick) butter or margarine 4 ounces (125g or one US cup) plain (all-purpose) flour 6 fluid ounces (175ml or cup) water 3 eggs 12 ounces (375g) raspberries (whole or lightly crushed) 4 ounces (125g or US cup) clear honey 2 tablespoons (30/35ml) Drambuie Half pint (300ml or one and a quarter cups) double (whipping or heavy) cream Icing (frosting or confectioners') sugar for decoration

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Method: Place the butter (or margarine) and water in a saucepan and heat until the fat has melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Beat until the mixture forms a ball (and leaves the edges of the pan cleanly). Beat the eggs and slowly add them, a little at a time, beating well between each addition. Spoon the pastry mixture into a large piping bag with a plain nozzle and pipe 12 round cakes onto a lightly greased baking sheet (cookie sheet). Bake in the centre of a preheated oven at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for 20/30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, pierce to allow the steam to escape and then leave to cool. Mix the raspberries and honey. Stir the Drambuie into the whipped cream. Split the buns and fill with the raspberries and cream. Dust with the icing sugar (frosting) and serve immediately.

Drambuie Cocktails
Some people might say that Drambuie on its own is the perfect drink but others feel it necessary to add other flavours to the recipe (said to have given by Bonnie Prince Charlie to members of the Mackinnon clan who helped him to escape after the defeat at Culloden in 1746). So here are a number of cocktails which include Drambuie. Don't be too concerned about "centilitres" or "millilitres" or "tablespoons" - just use the same measures for each liquid ingredient. Aftershock Ingredients: 5 cl Drambuie 5 cl Malibu rum 5 cl Cherry brandy 10 cl Lemonade Just pour the ingredients into a glass and stir. Black Tartan Ingredients: 1 part Johnnie Walker Black whisky 1 part Irish whisky 1 part Drambuie 1 1/2 part Kahlua Shake with ice and strain over ice. Christmas Pudding Ingredients: 100 ml Southern Comfort 100 ml Drambuie 500 ml Guinness stout

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Add Southern Comfort and then Drambuie in a large goblet. Top up with draught or chilled Guinness. Cumulus #1 Ingredients: 3 cl Drambuie 1.5 cl Tia maria 1 cl Cream 1 Egg yolk 2 teaspoons sugar Shake well with ice. Serve in frosted glass and sprinkle with powdered coffee or nutmeg. Dancing Leprechaun Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz Irish whisky 3/4 oz Drambuie 3/4 oz Lemon juice Ginger ale Twist of Lemon peel Shake with ice. Strain into glass with ice cubes. Add a twist of lemon. Jack Frost Ingredients: 2 tblsp Jack Daniels 1 tblsp Drambuie 1 dash Grenadine 1/4 cup Sweet and sour mix 1/4 cup Orange juice Combine all the ingredients over ice in a glass. Kiltlifter Ingredients: 1.5 oz single malt Scotch 1.0 oz Drambuie or Glayva 2.5 oz Rose's Lime Juice Shake gently and pour over ice in old fashioned glass. Loch Lomond Ingredients: 2 oz Scotch whisky 1/2 oz Drambuie 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth 1 twist of Lemon peel In a mixing glass half-filled with ice cubes, combine the Scotch, Drambuie, and vermouth. Stir well. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the twist of lemon peel.

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Suitor Ingredients: 1 cl Drambuie 1 cl Orange liqueur (such as Gran Marnier) 1 cl Bailey's irish cream 2/3 cl Milk Pour in order. Umbrella Man Special Ingredients: 6 cl Vodka 6 cl Kahlua 6 cl Bailey's irish cream 6 cl Grand Marnier 6 cl Drambuie Mix all ingredients in a shaker. Serve with straw and ice cubes and put a cocktail umbrella beside the straw in the glass. Warm Woolly Sheep Ingredients: 1 measure Scotch whisky 1 1/2 measure Drambuie Fill with warm Milk Mix Scotch and Drambuie, top with warm milk.

Drambuie Ice Cream

Drambuie is supposedly made to a recipe which the fleeing Bonnie Prince Charlie gave to the Mackinnons of Strathaird as thanks for looking after him. It was made in small quantities by the Mackinnons until the start of this century when an astute member of the clan started making it in larger quantities for sale. The name comes from the Gaelic "an dram buidbeach" or "the drink that satisfies." It is possible to just pour Drambuie liqueur over ice cream or sorbet and obtain a lovely dessert but here is a recipe for making home made ice cream flavoured with Bonnie Prince Charlie's personal liqueur. Ingredients: 4oz/125g caster sugar (fine granulated sugar) 6 tablespoons water 6 egg yolks 7 fluid ounces (210ml) double cream, lightly whipped 3 tablespoons Drambuie

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(Note: In Britain a tablespoon holds 17.7 ml while in America it holds 14.2 ml; all measurements in this section are in British values.) Method: Bring the water and sugar to the boil in a small saucepan and then set aside. Whisk the egg yolks over a bain marie. Once they are light in colour, add the water and sugar mixture and whisk until it forms a ribbon. Then remove from the heat and continue to whisk until it is cool. Add the Drambuie and the lightly whipped cream. Freeze overnight. Serve with soft fruit or apple pie.

Drop Scones/Scotch Pancakes

There are many traditional Scottish recipes which are well worth trying out. Here is one which even children can make!

Ingredients: 8 oz plain flour, salt, level teaspoon of cream of tartar, level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, 5 teaspoons of caster sugar, standard egg and a quarter pint of milk. Method: Heat a girdle or heavy based frying pan and lightly grease. Sift flour, salt, cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda together and mix in the caster sugar. Create a well in the centre and add the egg and some of the milk. Slowly mix the flour into the egg and milk, adding more milk as you go, until you have a mixture which has the consistency of thick batter. Drop a small amount of batter onto the greased girdle or pan - bubbles should rise to the top in a few seconds, if it is the right temperature. Drop in enough mixture to make individual small scones. When the underside is brown (and bubbles are bursting on the top) turn over and cook the other side. You may need to regrease the pan after each batch. Serve warm with butter and honey or jam/jelly. Or try buttering them and sprinkling with light brown sugar!

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Drunken Rhubarb Crumble

Rhubarb crumble is popular own its own but with a "wee nip" added, it has extra zest! You can use apples instead of rhubarb if you wish. Ingredients (makes enough for 4): Filling: 1 pounds raw rhubarb 3 fluid ounces of whisky (equals 6 tablespoons or less than half of a US cup) Grated lemon and orange rind to taste 4 ounces demerara sugar (one cup of light brown sugar) Teaspoon of mixed spices (Allspice) Topping: 6 ounces plain flower (two cups) 3 ounces butter (half stick) 3 ounces caster sugar (scant half cup granulated sugar) Grated rind of one lemon One teaspoon ground coriander One teaspoon mixed spice (Allspice) Method: Clean and chop the rhubarb into pieces and put in a 2-pint pie dish. Add the other ingredients for the filling and stir well. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter - the mixture will eventually look like small breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, grated lemon rind, coriander and spices and mix well. Sprinkle the topping over the rhubarb. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for thirty minutes by which time it should be golden brown. Serve hot with custard - or ice cream.

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Dundee Cake
Here is a rich, fruity cake topped with almonds. It became popular at the end of the 19th century. It is often served at Christmas. You can omit the whisky or use another spirit if you wish!

Ingredients 8oz Flour 6 oz Butter 5oz Caster/granulated sugar 4 Eggs 1oz Blanched almonds 1.5oz mixed peel 6oz each of currants, raisins, sultanas (seedless white raisins) Grated rind and juice of lemon 1 level teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons whisky 2 tablespoons boiled milk and 1 tablespoon sugar Method Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl. When it is white and creamy, slowly add the four eggs (one at a time), plus a spoonful of flour with each beating well all the time. Stir in the nuts and fruits. Add the rest of the flour, (sifted with the baking powder) and the whisky. Make sure the mixture is stirred well - right to the foot of the bowl. If it is too stiff, add a little milk. Place mixture in an 8-inch greased and lined cake tin. Flatten the top with hands which are slightly wet. Cover with foil or greaseproof paper and bake at 325F (170C) or gas mark 3 for two hours. Halfway through, take off the foil and arrange the split almonds in concentric circles on the top of the cake. Check the cake with a skewer towards the end of cooking - if it is still wet in the middle, put it back for more cooking! 5/10 minutes before cooking is finished, brush the top with the sweetened milk to create a dry glaze. Keep in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out on a wired tray. Store in an airtight container.

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Dundee Lamb Chops

Thanks to Mrs Keiller of Dundee, who bought a load of surplus oranges and made them into marmalade, Dundee is forever associated with that fruit (and jute and journalism as well as jam). So whenever marmalade is added to a recipe (as here) it immediately becomes "Dundee". The quantities below will serve four (unless the chops are very small or the appetites are large). Ingredients: Four leg of lamb chops 2.5 fluid ounces (75ml or five tablespoons) vinegar Half teaspoon ground ginger 4 tablespoons marmalade - from Keiller's of Dundee to be authentic! 4 slices orange for garnish 2 ounces (60g or half stick) butter 2 fluid ounces (75ml) water Half teaspoon paprika Salt and pepper Method: You will need a frying pan with a heavy base and a close-fitting lid. First, brown the chops in the butter. Sprinkle the ginger, paprika, salt and pepper over the chops and add water and vinegar. Place a generous tablespoon of marmalade on the top of each chop. Bring to a slow simmer and cook for 45 minutes on a very low heat. If required, add a little extra water. Serve with a twist of orange on top of the chops and with boiled potatoes and fresh vegetables.

Dunesslin Pudding
This is a recipe from that venerable organisation, the Scottish Women's Rural Institute using jam (conserve) or stewed fruit. Ingredients: 4 tablespoons jam (preserve) or stewed fruit 2 medium eggs, well beaten 2 ounces (50g or half a cup) flour 1 ounce (25g or 2 tablespoons) white sugar 1 ounce (25g or quarter stick) butter Half pint (300ml or slightly under one and a quarter cups) milk A squeeze of lemon juice or vanilla

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Method: Slightly butter the inside of a 2-pint (1 litre) pudding dish and place the jam/preserve or fruit in the foot. Mix the flour and sugar in a thick saucepan over heat and gradually add the milk, stirring well. Cut the butter into small pieces, add to the mixture and stir until it boils and becomes thick. Allow to cool slightly, add the lemon or vanilla and the well-beaten eggs. Beat until smooth and then pour evenly over the jam/preserve or fruit. Brown in a pre-heated moderate oven at 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4, for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Ecclefechan Butter Tart

Ecclefechan is a small town in Dumfries and Galloway where the influential philosopher and historian Thomas Carlyle was born. Ingredients: 2 Beaten eggs 6oz (200 gms or just under one US cup) soft brown sugar 1 tbsp vinegar 8oz (250 gms or One and a quarter US cups) mixed dried fruit 2oz (50 gms) chopped walnuts Prepared shortcrust pastry 4oz (125 gms or one stick) melted butter Method: Mix the sugar, butter and beaten eggs together. Stir in the vinegar, then add mixed fruit and nuts. Line patty tins with pastry and put a spoonful of the mixture into each. Bake in a fairly hot oven (190C/375F/Gas Mark 5) for 20-25 minutes.

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Edinburgh Fog
Edinburgh used to be known as "Auld Reekie" (Old Smokie) in the days of coal fires - Robert Louis Stevenson, who was a sickly child, used to complain about it in the 19th century. Here is a recipe for a rich, sweet dessert which recalls those days. The original recipe used almond flavoured "ratafia" biscuits/cookies but as these are not easily available, almond flavoured cookies or macaroon biscuits or similar can be used. Ingredients: Half pint double cream One ounce castor (fine granulated) sugar Two ounces small macaroon biscuits Almond essence Drambuie liqueur to taste One ounce flaked almonds Method: The cream should be whipped until it is stiff and the sugar added to your own preference. Crush the macaroon biscuits and mix well with the cream. Add a few drops of almond essence and Drambuie liqueur (or rum, whisky or brandy) to taste. Serve well chilled as a luxury dessert.

Edinburgh Rock
The rock on which Edinburgh Castle stands is volcanic and very hard. But the confection "Edinburgh Rock" is (or should be) very soft and crumbly. Many millions of boxes of Edinburgh Rock are sold to sweet-toothed tourists (and locals) every year. Ingredients: One pound (450g or 2 cups) sugar lumps (loaf sugar) Quarter pint (150ml or two-thirds cup) water Quarter teaspoon (1.5ml) cream of tartar Green and yellow food colouring and peppermint and lemon flavouring Some oil for greasing Method: Using a heavy-base saucepan, heat the water and sugar gently until all the sugar has dissolved. Bring this almost to the boil and then stir in the cream of tartar. Boil until the mixture has reached 120C or 250F (use a sugar thermometer or boil until a teaspoon of the mixture can form a hard ball when it is dropped into a cup of cold water).

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Using two separate heatproof bowls, pour half the mixture into each bowl. Stir in the green food colouring into one and the yellow colouring into the other to create a delicate shade of each colour. Add a few drops of peppermint flavouring to the green one and lemon flavouring to the yellow one, mixing well. Oil two shallow baking tins (pan) and pour each of the mixtures into the separate tins. Using an oiled knife, turn the edges towards the centre as they begin to cool. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, pull and fold the mixture. Finally, pull into a long log shape, about inch (1 cm) in diameter. Cut into shorter sticks with scissors. Spread on a sheet of non-stick baking parchment and leave for over 24 hours. Store in an airtight container.

Empire Biscuits
In the days when Britain had an Empire (not all that long ago) nobody thought it unusual to use the term "Empire Biscuit." North American readers might like to be reminded that a "biscuit" is a "cookie." Ingredients: 1/2 lb (250g or two cups) sifted flour 1/2 lb (= 250g or two sticks) butter 1/4 lb (125g or slightly more than half a cup) castor sugar (finely granulated sugar) Jam or jelly or jell-O 1 egg Method: Cream butter and sugar, add egg then add the flour. Make into a stiff paste, roll out and cut in rounds. Place on greaseproof paper (vegetable parchment or waxed paper) on a baking tray (cookie sheet). Cook in a moderate oven until slightly brown. When cold, spread jam/jelly on one round and place another round on top. Ice (the icing used is usually glac icing) the top of the sandwich and put half a glace cherry in the middle of the icing.

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Finnan Haddie
There are references to smoked fish in Scotland going back to the 16th century. James Boswell wrote about them in the 18th century, mentioning that Scottish smoked fish could be obtained in London. But these were heavily smoked (as a preservative) and a bit tough. In the late 19th century, as fast transportation by train became available, the Aberdeen fishing village of Findon (pronounced locally as "Finnan") began producing lightly smoked and delicately flavoured haddock (haddies) which were of a much finer texture. They were an immediate success and variations on these tasty fish have become very popular. They can be simply grilled with butter but here is a recipe with milk and onions which turns them into a delicately flavoured fish stew. The quantities are sufficient for four people. Ingredients: One pound (500g) smoked haddock One large onion, thinly sliced 14oz (400ml or one and two thirds of a cup) milk teaspoon cracked pepper 1 teaspoons mustard powder 1oz (30g or stick) butter, softened 2 teaspoons plain flour 1 finely chopped spring onion Some finely chopped parsley Method: Place the thinly sliced onion in the base of a large pan. Cut the smoked haddock into pieces about " to an inch (2cm) wide and spread over the onion. Mix the milk, pepper and mustard and pour over the fish. Bring to the boil slowly, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for five minutes. Then uncover and simmer for another five minutes. Remove the fish from the pan with a slotted spoon to allow the juices to run off and place in a warm serving dish. Continue to simmer the mixture in the pan for another five minutes, stirring frequently. Mix the warm butter and flour and add to the pan along with the finely chopped spring onion. Stir over a low heat until the mixture comes to a slow boil and thickens slightly. Pour over the fish and serve with some finely chopped parsley.

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Fisherman's Pie
There's nowhere in Scotland more than 50 miles from the sea and even inland there are many rivers, so fresh fish has been an important element of the Scottish diet and recipes incorporating fish abound. Here's a simple recipe which combines fish with that other Scottish staple ingredient - potato. The quantities below are sufficient for four people. Ingredients: One to One-and-a-half (450-575g) cooked fish. It can be either smoked fish (such as haddock) or most white fish. White fish and shelled fish such as prawns make good companions too. Three quarters of a pint/15 fluid ounces (450 ml or two cups (scant) or one US pint which is different from a UK pint!) of white sauce. One pound (450g or about four cups) mashed/creamed potato Two medium onions, finely chopped Salt and pepper to taste Grated cheese Butter Method: Saut the onions until soft. Flake the fish and mix with the onions and white sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in an oven-proof dish. Cover with the mashed potato, dot with butter and sprinkle with cheese (quantity depends on personal preference). Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F (200C or Gas Mark 7) until brown. Serve with green vegetables.

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Fish Sausages
This recipe is similar to fishcakes. It is based on one found in a cook book produced in 1946 by that stalwart of traditional cooking, the Scottish Women's Rural Institute. The quantities below are sufficient for 4 people. Ingredients: 6 ounces (185g or 1 cups) cooked white fish 2 ounces (60g or half a cup) peeled prawns 2 ounces (60g or half a cup) mushrooms 2 ounces (60g or half a cup) breadcrumbs 2 lightly beaten eggs 4 ounces (125g or one cup, scant) fine oatmeal 2 teaspoons dried parsley Salt and pepper to taste Cooking oil A small quantity of flour and butter Method: Remove any skin and bones from the fish. Chop up the prawns finely. Chop and fry the mushrooms in a little butter. Using a large bowl, break up and pound the white fish, chopped prawns, cooked mushrooms, breadcrumbs, parsley and seasoning, binding with half the beaten egg. With floured hands, form the mixture into a number of sausage shaped portions. Dip into the remaining beaten egg and roll in the oatmeal. Fry in hot, shallow oil for about 6/7 minutes, turning regularly until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

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Flan Case
A flan case can form the basis of many desserts and pies, filled with fruit to meringues. Ingredients: 8 ounces (250g or two cups) plain flour 4 ounces (125g or one stick) butter 2 tablespoons caster (fine granulated) sugar 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon iced water Butter to brush onto the flan tin Dried beans or rice to fill the flan Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Brush a deep, 22cm/9" flan tin with melted butter. Sift flour into a large bowl and add the butter. Rub the butter into the flour for about three minutes until the mixture is fine and crumbly, then stir in the sugar. Add the egg yolk and water and mix to a soft dough. Press into a ball. Roll the pastry between two sheets of plastic wrap until it is large enough to cover the base and side of the buttered tin. Trim off any excess and prick the pastry evenly with a fork. Place the pastry-lined tin, covered with clingfilm (plastic wrap) in a refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Cut a sheet of greaseproof paper (vegetable parchment or waxed paper) large enough to cover the pastry-lined tin. Spread a layer of dried beans or rice evenly over the paper. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. When the flan case is baked, discard the paper, beans and rice.

Flapjacks may not be traditionally Scottish, but they do use one of the basic ingredients of many Scottish recipes - oats. Ingredients: 9oz (275g or 2 US sticks) butter 9 oz (275g or 1 cups) soft brown sugar Quarter pint golden syrup (Light corn syrup is the nearest equivalent in N. America) 1 lb 2 oz (550g or 3 cups scant) rolled oats Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Melt the butter and add the soft brown sugar and golden syrup. Keep on a low heat until the sugar dissolves - do not boil. Remove from the heat and add the oats. Place on a baking tray 12 x 8 inches, and roll the mixture to 1 inch thick.

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Bake for approximately 15 - 20 minutes. Allow to cool and then cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.

Forfar Bridies
These are said to have been made by a travelling food seller, Maggie Bridie of Glamis (in the days when the county of Angus was called Forfarshire). They were mentioned by J M Barrie (author of Peter Pan) who was born in Kirriemuir in that county. The original recipe used suet but since that is not always to everyone's taste, you can use butter or margarine. Ingredients (for six bridies): 1 lbs (700g) boneless, lean rump steak. Lean minced beef can also be used. 2 oz (2 rounded tablespoons) suet or butter or margarine 1 (or 2) onion, chopped finely 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder Quarter cup rich beef stock Salt and pepper to taste 1 lbs flaky pastry (home made or from a pastry mix packet) Method: Remove any fat or gristle from the meat and beat with a meat bat or rolling pin. Cut into halfinch (1cm) pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the salt/pepper, mustard, chopped onion, suet (or butter/margarine) and stock and mix well. Prepare the pastry and divide the pastry and meat mixture into six equal portions. Roll each pastry portion into a circle about six inches in diameter and about quarter of an inch thick and place a portion of the mixture in the centre. Leave an edge of pastry showing all round. Brush the outer edge of half the pastry circle with water and fold over. Crimp the edges together well. The crimped edges should be at the top of each bridie. Make a small slit in the top (to let out any steam). Brush a 12 inch square (or equivalent area) baking tray with oil and place the bridies in this, ensuring that they are not touching. Place in a pre-heated oven at 450F/230C/gas mark 8 for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350F/180C/gas mark 4 and cook for another 45/55 minutes. They should be golden brown and if they are getting too dark, cover with greaseproof paper (vegetable parchment).

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Friar's Omelette
This sweet omelette was first published by a Lady Forbes around 1910. In addition to being made with apples, you can use rhubarb, plums (with stones removed) or blackberry instead. The quantities make sufficient for four servings. Ingredients: 6 medium cooking apples 4 ounces (125g or one stick) butter plus butter for greasing a baking dish 2 ounces (50g or 4 tablespoons) white sugar 1 ounce (25g or rounded tablespoon) white sugar for decoration 2 eggs, well beaten 4 ounces (125g or 1 cup) breadcrumbs A squeeze of lemon juice Method: Remove the peel and core from the apples, slice and place in a saucepan with about quarter pint (150ml) water. Cook until soft (similar to apple sauce). Remove from the heat and add 4 ounces (125g or one stick) butter, sugar and lemon juice and mix well. When cold, add the well-beaten eggs. Butter a deep baking dish and spread the breadcrumbs around it so that they stick to the bottom and the sides - but keep back enough for the top. Add the apple and egg mixture into the dish and cover the top thickly with breadcrumbs. Bake in a moderate oven (350F/180C/Gas Mark 4) for about half an hour. Turn out onto a flat dish and sprinkle with sugar before serving.

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Gaelic Coffee and Caf au Drambuie

Here are some good ways to round off a meal - whether it has been a Scottish one or not. The only difference between Gaelic Coffee and Caf au Drambuie (or Irish coffee for that matter) is in the type of alcohol used for flavouring. Ingredients: 3 dessertspoons Drambuie liqueur/whisky 1 level dessertspoon light brown sugar Fresh, strong coffee Double cream Method: Heat a stemmed wine glass with hot water and dry quickly. Add the Drambuie/whisky and stir in the sugar. Pour in the coffee, leaving an inch below the rim. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved and pour in the cream over the back of a teaspoon so that it floats on the surface to the depth of about half an inch.

Gaelic Fruits
Here is a great way to provide after-dinner sweets, using fruit, chocolate - and whisky. What a perfect combination! Ingredients: 4 ounces (125g) plain chocolate 4 ounces (125g) milk chocolate 4 ounces (125g) white chocolate 6 tablespoons Scotch whisky Assorted fresh fruit - strawberries, seedless grapes, cherries (de-stoned or glac), pieces of apple and pineapple. Method: Break up the chocolate into separate heat-proof bowls and melt over a pan of hot water. Don't let the chocolate get too hot - and take care especially with the white chocolate as it is the most difficult to melt. Allow the melted chocolate to cool slightly. Add two tablespoons of whisky to each bowl of chocolate and stir slightly. Dip the fruits into the whisky and chocolate mixture and arrange carefully on a large plate or dish. Make sure that none of the fruits touch each other. Chill before serving so that the chocolate is set.

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Gingerbread
This is another popular cake which is found in tearooms across Scotland. This particular version makes a very moist version. Ingredients: 4oz (100g or 1 stick) margarine 4 0z (100g or half cup) soft brown sugar 1 tablespoon treacle (molasses) 6oz (150g or 1 cups) plain flour 2oz (50g or half cup) oatmeal 1oz (25g or quarter cup) bran 3 level teaspoons of ground ginger 1 level teaspoon mixed spice (allspice) 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 2 eggs 2 fluid ounces (50ml or quarter cup) milk 4 fluid ounces (100ml or half cup) orange juice Method: Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/Gas Mark 3 (reduce the temperature by 10C or equivalent if a fan assisted oven). Mix the flour, bran, spices and soda together in a bowl. Put the milk and orange juice in another container and lightly beat in the eggs. Put the margarine, sugar and treacle/molasses in a saucepan on a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the dry ingredients and then add the eggs/milk/juice mixture. Pour the mixture into a 2lb loaf tin lined with baking parchment and bake for around 40 minutes. Alternatively, if you want to make iced gingerbread squares, put the mixture in a 9" (23cm) square, lined tin and bake for 35 minutes. When it's cold, use 8oz (250g or one and a quarter cups) icing sugar (frosting) and enough water to make a thick, spreadable icing.

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Ginger Wine
Ginger wine has been a popular drink for cold winter's nights - or as an addition to whisky to make a "Whisky Mac". This recipe is adapted from the original published in Mrs Beeton's famous work and makes 4.5 litres (8 pints). Ingredients: 4.5 litres (8 pints) water 1.4 kg (3 lb) sugar One lemon - zest and juice 1 tsp fresh yeast 110g (4 oz) raisins, stoned and chopped 40g (1 oz) ginger, peeled and bruised 75 ml (2 fl oz) brandy Method: Add the water, sugar, lemon zest and bruised ginger to a very clean saucepan. Bring to the boil, simmer for 1 hour. Remove any scum and transfer to a large bowl. When it is luke-warm, add the yeast and leave overnight. Next day, strain the lemon juice and add to the mix along with the chopped raisins. Place everything in a suitable vessel. Stir the wine every day for 14 days. Add the brandy. Stop the vessel down by degrees and in a few weeks it will be ready to bottle.

Green Pea Soup

It has always been a mystery why green pea soup in cans is not available on supermarket shelves, certainly in Scotland. It is tasty and an attractive colour. But the lack of an "off the shelf" version just gives the incentive to make it yourself! Ingredients: One pound peas (fresh or frozen) One bunch spring onions One round lettuce One pint chicken stock (or made from a cube) One ounce butter (25g or stick) One level teaspoon castor (fine granulated) sugar One clove garlic Salt and pepper to taste Method: Peel and crush the garlic and trim and slice the spring onions. Soften them by heating in butter in a pan for three minutes. Then add stock, peas, roughly chopped lettuce, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Simmer for roughly five minutes. Cool slightly and then put through a blender. Green pea soup can be served either hot or cold - but heat or cool quickly to preserve the colour. If served cold, garnish with chopped mint. If served hot, garnish with cream or fromage frais.

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Grilled Salmon Balmoral

Oatmeal is one of the staple ingredients of many Scottish foods, from haggis to porridge. It is often used to coat fish (herring and oatmeal in particular). Here it is used to add flavour and texture to the king of fish. Ingredients: Salmon steaks of your choice Flour seasoned with salt and pepper to taste Melted butter for frying Medium oatmeal Method: Lightly flour the salmon steaks and dip these in melted butter. Sprinkle oatmeal over the top of the steaks. Place on a buttered tray and grill slowly or put in a pre-heated oven at 325F/170C/gas mark 3 for 7/10 minutes.

Grilled Salmon Trout

This recipe for Grilled Salmon Trout with leek and ginger bouillon is from a very famous hotel in Scotland most associated with golf ;-). The quantities are sufficient for 4. Main Ingredients: 3lb whole salmon trout or 6 oz salmon fillets 2 tbsp melted butter 1 tsp fennel seeds juice of 1 lemon 4 heads small pak choi, washed and trimmed 2 oz (65g or stick) butter, cut into cubes 1 packed fresh tarragon, stems discarded Ingredients for the ginger bouillon: 1 large shallot 1 inch piece of ginger 2 leeks, white part only 1 oz (30g or quarter stick) butter 7 fl oz (250ml or one cup/Half a US pint) sweet white wine 2 pints chicken stock Ingredients for the horseradish potato: 1lb 10 oz potatoes

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4 fl oz (8 tablespoons or 100ml or half cup) olive oil cream or butter, optional 3 tsp bottled horseradish Method: First make the ginger bouillon: Finely chop the shallot, ginger and white of the leek and sweat in a little butter in a covered pan for 3 - 4 minutes, until soft but not coloured. The green part of the leek is not used and can be saved for stock. Add the sweet wine and chicken stock and simmer gently for approximately 30 minutes to extract all the flavours from the leeks. Sieve and reduce the bouillon to leave about 14 fl oz (500ml or two cups). Horseradish potato: Peel and boil the potatoes until cooked, then drain. Mash them, drizzle in the olive oil while beating. Add cream if desired to make it richer. Stir the horseradish into the potato. Preheat the grill. Cut the salmon trout into 8 equal pieces. Brush the salmon with the melted butter, sprinkle with fennel seeds and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Grill the fish lightly for two minutes on each side until just cooked. To assemble the dish, reheat the bouillon and place the pak choi in it for approximately 3 minutes to cook. Spoon the potato into the middle of 4 high lipped plates or bowls. Place the pak choi on top of the mash and then the salmon trout on top of this. Stir the butter into the bouillon and when it has melted add the tarragon leaves. Spoon a little into each plate.

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Haggis
It is a shame that the "Great chieftain o' the puddin' race" should be regarded (by some) with such a mixture of horror and humour. The vision of sheep's stomachs and other intestines seems to put some people off, but it has long been a traditional way of using up parts of the animal which otherwise might go to waste. Made properly, it is a tasty, wholesome dish, with every chef creating his or her own recipe to get the flavour and texture (dry or moist) that suits them. Personally, I like a haggis which is spicy from pepper and herbs, with a lingering flavour on the palate after it has been consumed. It is suggested that the best way to get haggis is to buy it in the butcher's shop! Certainly, these days haggis can even be ordered online. Finding a butcher who can supply sheep's heart, lungs and liver may not be easy although nowadays beef bung (intestine) is used instead of sheep's stomach. Since this is used also to make European sausage, they are out there for other nationalities as well. Ingredients: Set of sheep's heart, lungs and liver (cleaned by a butcher) One beef bung 3 cups finely chopped suet One cup medium ground oatmeal Two medium onions, finely chopped One cup beef stock One teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper One teaspoon nutmeg teaspoon mace Method: Trim off any excess fat and sinew from the sheep's intestine and, if present, discard the windpipe. Place in a large pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or possibly longer to ensure that they are all tender. Drain and cool. Some chefs toast the oatmeal in an oven until it is thoroughly dried out (but not browned or burnt!) Finely chop the meat and combine in a large bowl with the suet, oatmeal, finely chopped onions, beef stock, salt, pepper,

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nutmeg and mace. Make sure the ingredients are mixed well. Stuff the meat and spices mixture into the beef bung which should be over half full. Then press out the air and tie the open ends tightly with string. Make sure that you leave room for the mixture to expand or else it may burst while cooking. If it looks as though it may do that, prick with a sharp needle to reduce the pressure. Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and immediately reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for three hours. Avoid boiling vigorously to avoid bursting the skin. Serve hot with "champit tatties and bashit neeps" (mashed/creamed potato and turnip/swede). For added flavour, you can add some nutmeg to the potatoes and allspice to the turnip/swede. Some people like to pour a little whisky over their haggis - Drambuie is even better! Don't go overboard on this or you'll make the haggis cold. At Burns Suppers the haggis is traditionally piped in and Burns Address to the Haggis recited over it.

Haggis Millefeuille with bashed neeps and champit tatties, candied tomatoes, black pudding mousse, crisp rosti and malt whisky jus.
This is not the standard haggis meal (though bashed neeps and champit tatties - chopped up turnip/swede and mashed/creamed potatoes - are the usual accompaniment). Instead, it is a special recipe from the kitchens of another famous hotel. The ingredients are sufficient for four people and assumes that you have haggis and black pudding available. Ingredients for the tomatoes: 4 plum tomatoes 25 g (1 oz) sugar 5 g sea salt 5 g mixed herbs 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped Ingredients for the malt whisky jus: 60g (2 oz or stick) butter 50g (2 oz) chopped vegetables (eg carrot, leek, onion, celery) 60 ml (4 tablespoons) malt whisky 1 litre (1 pints) brown stock (beef) salt and pepper Ingredients for the crisp rosti: 60 ml (4 tablespoons) olive oil

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180g (6 oz) shredded raw potato salt and pepper Ingredients for the black pudding mousse: 300g black pudding 65g skinless breast of chicken Main Ingredients: 375g (12 oz) hot haggis 180g (6 oz) turnip puree 180g (6 oz) potato puree 25 g (1 oz) leek, finely chopped, deep-fried Method for the tomatoes: Slice tomatoes and place in 4 interleaving circles approximately 10cm in diameter on an oven tray lined with silicone paper. Mix sugar, sea salt, mixed herbs and chopped garlic together. Sprinkle mixture evenly over circles of tomatoes. Place in preheated oven (150C /gas mark 2) for 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Method for the malt whisky jus: melt half butter in thick bottomed pan. Add chopped vegetables and cook gently for 2-3 minutes. Add malt whisky and flamb. Add brown stock and reduce by two-thirds. Remove from heat, season and whisk in remaining butter. Keep warm without boiling. Method for the crisp rosti: To make 12 rosti, 3 per serving, heat olive oil in a small 10cm diameter saucepan. Season raw shredded potato with salt and pepper, and place a thin layer covering bottom of pan. Cook and colour rosti for few minutes then turn over with palette knife and colour other side. Repeat. If rosti needs more cooking place on roasting tray and finish cooking in a hot oven. Method for the black pudding mousse: Pass black pudding and chicken breast through food processor for 4-5 minutes, making sure paste is smooth. Wrap mousse in clingfilm then in tinfoil to form a sausage shape. Secure with string. Steam over boiling water for 25 minutes until mousse is fully cooked. Reserve in hot place until assembly To serve: Place a round pastry cutter in middle of serving plate and press a layer of haggis into cutter. Place one of the rosti potatoes on top of haggis. Place on ring of candied tomatoes on rosti. Place pastry cutter on to tomato and press a layer of potato puree into cutter. Place another layer of rosti, potato and tomato ring on top of potato. Place pastry cutter on top of next tomato and press a layer of turnip into cutter. Place another rosti potato and tomato ring on top of turnip. Top tomato with black pudding mousse - your dish will be tower shaped. Drizzle malt whisky jus around plate and garnish with deep fried leek.

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Ham and Haddie Pie

Bacon and smoked haddock (haddies) go very well together in this tasty pie. The quantities are sufficient for four people. Ingredients: 12 ounces (375g) smoked haddock 4 ounces (125g or half cup) chopped bacon 8 ounces (250g) tomatoes, sliced 2 ounces (60g or half a stick) grated Scottish cheddar cheese (or similar) Small quantity butter for frying 1 small onion, chopped 2 ounces (60g or half a cup) breadcrumbs 2-3 tablespoons water Method: Heat the oven to 375F (190C or Gas Mark 5). Grease a medium size ovenproof dish. Melt the butter in a pan and fry the onion until it is soft. Add the chopped bacon and cook for another 2/3 minutes. Arrange half of the tomato slices in the dish and cover with the onion and bacon mixture. Put the haddock on top of this and top with the remaining tomato slices. Pour on the water and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and cheese. Cover with a lid or kitchen foil and cook for 20 minutes at 375F (190C or Gas Mark 5). Remove the lid or foil and cook for another ten minutes until the topping has turned brown.

Helensburgh Toffee
There are many different varieties of toffee, tablet and fudge catering for the sweet tooth of many Scots. This "toffee" named after Helensburgh (a town overlooking the lower reaches of the river Clyde) has the consistency of thick fudge, rather than chewy toffee. Ingredients: 2 ounces (50g or half stick) unsalted (sweet) butter 1 pound (450g or two cups) caster (superfine) sugar Two teaspoons (10ml) golden syrup (light corn syrup) 7 fluid ounces (200ml or small can) condensed milk 4 tablespoons (60ml) milk Half teaspoon (2.5ml) vanilla essence (extract) Method: Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan, then add the sugar, syrup, condensed milk and milk. Heat very gently until all the ingredients have dissolved. Then bring to the boil, stirring

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constantly. Continue to heat, stirring gently until the mixture has reached 115C/240F on a sugar thermometer (or until a teaspoonful of the mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water). Remove from the heat and add the vanilla essence. Beat well until thick and creamy. Pour into shallow greased tins (pans) and mark into squares with a knife. Leave to cool and set. Cut into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Herring in Oatmeal
Combining two items which formed a staple of Scottish diet over many centuries, herring coated in oatmeal is a tasty, nourishing dish.

Ingredients: Allow 2 herrings per person Coarse oatmeal Salt and pepper Dripping or cooking oil Method: Depending on how your fishmonger supplies the herring, you may have to remove the bones yourself - cut along the underside of the herring, lay it on a table, cut side down and hit across the backbone in a few places with a rolling pin or your hand. Remove the backbone and as many of the smaller bones as possible. Scrape the scales from the fish with a knife, remove heads and tails. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and either toss them in a plastic bag with plenty of oatmeal or put the fish on a plate and coat them with oatmeal - you may have to press the oatmeal into the fish to ensure it is fully covered. Fry in meat dripping or cooking oil - put them in with the skin side upwards first. Fry until lightly brown, turn and cook the other side. It should take 5/7 minutes. Drain the fish on kitchen paper (paper towels). Modern books suggest serving with lemon and parsley - old Scots would not have known such refinements!

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Herring with Drambuie Butter

Herring in oatmeal is a classic Scottish dish. In more modern times, chefs have added their own touches to the basic dish. Drambuie Butter is one way of adding to the flavours. Ingredients: Allow two herrings per person 4 oz unsalted butter (one stick) 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley 3 tablespoons Drambuie liqueur Method: Prepare the herring as per the herring in oatmeal page after you have prepared the Drambuie Butter (below). To make the Drambuie Butter, simply soften the butter but don't melt it. Beat in the other ingredients and then roll out into a cylinder shape with a diameter of about one inch. Wrap in foil/greaseproof paper/vegetable parchment/waxed paper and leave in the fridge to harden again. Cut into slices and place two on each fish immediately before serving the cooked herrings. Add garnish of cress or lemon according to preference. Any leftover butter can be put on a tray and frozen and stored in small freezer bags. But don't keep them for more than one week.

Het Pint
Het Pint (literally "a hot pint) was used as a warmer for "first-footers" more than a century ago. It was carried in a copper kettle and offered to everyone they met on their first-footing rounds. Ingredients: 4 pints mild ale/beer nutmeg 3 eggs sugar to taste 1/2 pint whisky Method: Grind nutmeg into ale and bring to the point of boiling. Mix in the sugar (already dissolved in some cold ale) and eggs, taking care that they do not curdle. Pour in the whisky and bring the mixture nearly to boil. Then pour it briskly from one pot to another until the liquid becomes smooth and bright.

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Honey and Lemon Chicken

Here's an easy to prepare recipe for succulent, tasty chicken, cooked in a casserole in the oven. Ingredients: 4 chicken pieces 2 ounces (60g or stick) butter 4 tablespoons clear honey 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice 4 sprigs fresh rosemary Method: Heat the butter in a frying pan and brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer to a lidded casserole. Boil the honey, lemon juice and rosemary in the frying pan for a few minutes and then pour over the chicken. Cover the casserole and cook in a pre-heated oven at 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes.

Honey Creams
Here is a recipe for a delicious dessert which includes honey and whisky in the list of ingredients. The quantities will provide enough for eight portions. But as the creams are frozen, they can be eaten over a number of days. Ingredients: 4 tablespoons thick honey 4 egg yolks, size 2 Half pint double cream (whipping cream) 4 tablespoons whisky Grated chocolate for decoration Method: Heat the honey in a pan until it is runny. Beat the egg yolks and slowly add the honey, beating until it has thickened and turned a pale yellow colour. Whip the cream and add the whisky, one tablespoon at a time. Fold together the egg yolk mixture and the cream mixture. Divide into eight ramekins (moulds) and sprinkle with grated chocolate. Place on a tray, cover and freeze.

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Honey Sauce
This sweet sauce can be poured over steamed puddings, milk puddings, pancakes and sweet omelettes. Of course, heather honey tastes the best, if you can obtain it! The quantities given below provide enough sauce for four servings. Ingredients: Half pound (225g) honey Half pint (300ml) water 1 large beaten egg 1 rounded teaspoon butter Finely grated rind and the juice of half an orange Finely grated rind and the juice of half a lemon Method: Place the honey and water in a bowl or double saucepan and heat until it is well blended. Then add the juice and grated rind of the orange and lemon, butter and finally the well-beaten egg. Heat over hot water, stirring constantly for about ten minutes or until it has thickened slightly. Pour over your pudding, pancakes or sweet omelette.

Honey and Whisky Cake

Here is a recipe for a cake which uses that popular Scottish ingredient - whisky! Use blended whisky, rather than malt (the latter is too good to be used in cooking) and the quantity used is very much subject to personal preference...

Ingredients: 6 oz self-raising flour (or all-purpose flour with baking powder) 6 oz butter 6 oz soft brown sugar (light brown sugar) 3 beaten eggs 4 tablespoons whisky Rind of a small orange, grated Ingredients for butter Icing: 6 oz icing (frosting) sugar 2 oz butter 2 tablespoons clear honey

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Juice from a small orange Toasted flaked almonds as decoration Method: Cream the butter and sugar together, add the orange rind and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Whisk until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Sift in half the self-raising flour (or all-purpose flour and baking powder) and pour in the whisky. Fold in to the mixture and sift in the remaining flour and again fold in. Grease two seven inch sandwich tins and divide the mixture between the two, smoothing the tops. Bake for 20/25 minutes in an oven at 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5 until the cake is a light golden colour. Turn onto a wire rack to allow it to cool. Put the butter, honey and one tablespoon of orange juice in a mixing bowl. Slowly sift in the icing (frosting) sugar and work the mixture till they are all combined. Use half the butter cream as a sandwich between the two halves of the cake and spread the rest smoothly on the top. Add the toasted almonds as decoration.

Iced Cherry Cake

Cherry cake, with icing on top, is one of the mainstays of Scottish home baking tearooms. Ingredients: 8 ounces (250g/One and a quarter cups in North America) self-raising flour (all-purpose flour with baking powder) 8 ounces (250g/one cup) margarine 8 ounces (250g/one and a quarter cups) caster sugar (fine granulated sugar) 4 eggs (medium) 8 ounces (250g/one cup) glac cherries 8 ounces (250g/one and a quarter cups) icing sugar (frosting) Method: Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 (or slightly higher if not an electric fan assisted oven) and line a baking tray (8" x 12" x 1" or 20cm x 30cm x 3.5cm) with vegetable parchment or waxed paper. Wash, dry and chop up the cherries to remove the glac coating (but retaining some as quarter cherries to decorate the top later). If you coat them in some flour it will stop them sinking to the bottom of the cake. Cream the margarine and sugar together thoroughly until light and fluffy (to help the cake rise with the trapped air). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Stir in the flour and then add the cherries. Spread evenly into the tin and bake in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin. Add a little water at a time to the icing sugar (frosting) until it has a consistency which coats the

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back of a metal spoon without running off. Remove the cake from the tin and spread the icing sugar evenly on top. Decorate with quartered cherries.

Kedgeree
Curry powder in a traditional Scottish recipe? Yes, apparently it was a Scottish regiment serving in India that married local curry with smoked fish. "Finnan haddies" (smoked haddock from Glen Finnan in Scotland) are the best but most smoked fish is satisfactory. Ingredients (to serve four people): 2 fillets of smoked haddock, bones and skin removed 2 hard boiled eggs, shelled and chopped finely (some people add more than 2 eggs) 350g/ lb /two cups (US) long grain basmati rice (or brown rice) 300ml/ 10fl oz /1 cups of milk to poach the fish 50g/ 2oz / stick of butter 750ml/ 1 pints /3 cups (US) chicken stock Small onion, peeled and finely chopped One bay leaf One teaspoon curry powder (or to your own taste!) Half teaspoon grated nutmeg Ground pepper (to taste) Method: Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Cook the onion gently in the butter and add the rice, stirring to coat the rice in butter. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add the bay leaf, cover and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the stock. Remove the bay leaf at the end of cooking. Poach the fish in hot milk for five minutes and drain just before the rice is ready. Flake the fish. When the rice is ready, stir in the flaked fish, chopped eggs, curry powder, nutmeg and pepper, using a fork to stir the flaked fish (to prevent the rice from breaking up). Kedgeree is often served with softly scrambled eggs but you may prefer mashed potatoes.

Lamb Desi
In the last 50 years there has been a tremendous growth in Scotland in the number and quantity of dishes which were originally from the Indian subcontinent. Edinburgh and Glasgow restaurants compete for the title of "Curry Capital", with

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Glasgow boasting the largest Indian restaurant in Europe. The taste for Indian food has led to an interest in cooking Indian-style food at home and local restaurants will often encourage this by publishing their recipes for popular dishes. Here is a recipe for Lamb Desi from one of Glasgow's newer establishments. Ingredients below are sufficient to serve 2 people. This is traditionally served with Paratha (a richer version of chapatti) but can also be served with rice. Ingredients: 1 or 2 chopped green chilli (dependent on preference) 200 grams (7 ounces) chopped tomato kilo (one pound) of lean Scottish lamb on or off the bone 150ml (5 ounces), vegetable oil 1 large white onion 1 teaspoon fresh root ginger 1 clove of garlic 1 teaspoon of tumeric 1 teaspoon of garam masala 1 teaspoon of cumin 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chilli powder (dependant on taste) Pinch of salt 1 green pepper Bunch of corriander Quarter pint (150ml) water Natural yogurt (table spoon) Method: Using a sharp knife cut lamb into small, even sized pieces. In a large mixing bowl combine the yogurt, garam masala, ginger, garlic, chilli powder and salt and mix well. Heat oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions until golden brown. Add the cumin and tumeric and stir well. Add the lamb to the yogurt mix and stir fry for 3-5 mins. Add the chopped green chillies and tomatoes and stir fry for a further 5 minutes. Add a quarter pint of water and leave to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Add some corriander and stir until sauce reaches the required consistency. Transfer the curry to warm serving plates and serve hot with a sprinkle of corriander to decorate the dish.

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Leek and Potato Soup

Here's a simple recipe for a tasty, hearty soup which is popular in Scotland. Ingredients: Six potatoes, diced 3 leeks, chopped 1 pints (750ml or 3 cups) chicken stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 ounce (25g or stick) buter or margarine 2 ounces (50g or half cup) grated cheddar cheese Method: Boil the potatoes and leeks in water for about 15 minutes until the potatoes start to disintegrate. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Work in the butter or margarine and serve with a sprinkling of grated cheese.

Love Apple Soup with Claret

"Love apple" was an early name for tomatoes so the ingredients are not so hard to find as you might have first thought! The soup makes a great start to any meal, especially in winter. The quantities below are sufficient for 8/10 people (though you can refrigerate and have half the next day). Ingredients: 1 oz (30g or stick) butter 4 oz (125g or one cup) chopped onion 2 oz (60g or cup) grated carrots 1 medium stick celery, thinly sliced 2lb (1 kilo) tin tomatoes 2 rounded tablespoons tomato pure 2 oz (60g or cup) chopped streaky bacon pint (150ml or cup) claret 4 tablespoons extra claret 2 pints (1 litre or 5 cups) water or light chicken stock 1 level tablespoon sugar 2 level tablespoons cornflour 1 bouquet garni 2 or 3 level teaspoons salt (or to taste) Single cream (to garnish) Sprigs parsley or thyme, finely chopped

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Method: Heat the butter in a large lidded pan, add the vegetables and bacon and fry for about ten minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they have turned pale gold (but avoid burning). Stir in the tomatoes, claret and water (or stock), bouquet garni, tomato pure, sugar and salt. Bring to the boil, stirring continually and then cover and simmer for about an hour , stirring occasionally. Remove the bouquet garni, liquidise or seive finely. It's at this stage that you can refrigerate some or all of the soup for use later in the day or the next day. Reheat, uncovered, stirring frequently. Mix the cornflower with the 4 tablespoons extra claret, pour a little hot soup into the claret mix, stirring vigourously, then add to the soup. Heat and stir until thick and simmer for three minutes. Ladle into warm plates and swirl in the cream. Sprinkle some finely chopped parsley or thyme and serve with crusty bread.

Macallan`s Whisky Chocolate Pudding

. Ingredients for the pudding: 110g/ 4 ounces/ US cup castor/granulated sugar 110g/ 4 ounces/ one stick margarine 60g/ 2 ounces/ US cup cocoa powder or drinking chocolate 170g/ 6 ounces/ 1 US cups flour 2 eggs 25 ml/ 2 tablespoons Macallan whisky 2 tablespoons skimmed milk 50g/ 2 ounces/ US cup soft berries of choice Ingredients for the sauce: 140g/ 4 ounces dark chocolate [ 70% cocoa] 150 ml/ 6 fluid ounces/ cup double cream 25 ml/ 2 tablespoons Macallan whisky 1 tablespoon golden syrup (light corn syrup is the closest in the US) Method: Blend sugar and margarine until light and fluffy. Sieve cocoa powder or chocolate into flour. Whisk eggs together, then add to sugar/margarine mix, adding a little flour mix to thicken. Add whisky and more flour mix until both flour and whisky have been used. Add skimmed milk, to soften. Grease 4 individual pudding moulds with margarine and dust with caster sugar. Place a spoonful of the mix into each mould, cover with tin foil and secure tightly. Place in a pot of warm water which reaches halfway up the moulds. Bring to the boil then simmer for 40

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minutes For the sauce : melt chocolate in a bowl over boiling water, add cream, whisky and syrup. Remove puddings and place on plates. Then pour over the chocolate sauce, adding a few soft berries before serving.

Marmalade Cake
Mrs Janet Keiller made marmalade for the first time in Dundee in 1797 when her husband bought a cargo of oranges that were going cheap, after a Spanish ship had been forced into the harbour in a storm. So it is not surprising that marmalade features in a number of Scottish recipes. Here is one for a marmalade cake. Ingredients (with US conversions in brackets): 8 oz self-raising flour (One cup all-purpose flour with baking powder) 2 beaten eggs 3 oz caster sugar (Three rounded tablespoons granulated sugar) 4 oz margarine (4 rounded tablespoons) 1 drop vanilla essence (vanilla extract) 2 tablespoons orange marmalade 1 teaspoon orange rind, finely grated 2 tablespoons milk Pinch of salt Method: Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the margarine until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, half the orange rind and then add the eggs, marmalade, milk and vanilla. Mix well to achieve the consistency of thick batter. Grease a 6 inch round cake tin and bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven at 350F/175C/Gas Mark 4 for around one hour and twenty minutes until golden brown. If you have one, you can check with a skewer until it comes out clean. Sprinkle the rest of the orange rind on top and allow to cool for a few minutes before you turn out on a wire rack to cool.

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Marzipan Dates
This is another recipe which originated in Dundee where almonds (the basis of marzipan) were imported. These sweeties (candies) are simple to make and do not involve any cooking at all! Ingredients: 8oz whole dates from which the stones have been removed. 8oz marzipan 4oz caster (fine granulated) sugar Method: Knead the marzipan until it is warm and soft. Take a small piece of marzipan (the amount will vary on your liking for marzipan!) and shape it into a roll slightly shorter than the length of the dates. Open the date with a knife, insert the marzipan and close over again. Roll the filled date in the caster sugar and lay it on a separate plate. Repeat until the marzipan is finished. Place the Marzipan Dates in small paper cases and store in an airtight container.

Melrose Creams
Here is a simple recipe which uses tinned fruit and cream to create a delicious dessert to end a meal. Ingredients: 8 ounce (225g or US medium size) can of pineapple rings 14 ounce (400g or US large size) can of apricots pint (300ml or 1 cups) double cream (whipping cream) pint (300ml or 1 cups) single cream (light cream) 12 glac (candied) cherries, cut into quarters 2 ounces (50g or cup) plain (semi-sweet) grated chocolate Method: Drain the juice from the pineapple and cut each ring into six equal sized pieces. Pure the apricots in a blender or food processor or rub them through a sieve (strainer). Whisk the double/whipping cream until it is softly peaking, then stir in the cut cherry pieces. Then slowly whisk in the apricot pure until it is blended with the cream. Divide the pineapple pieces between six small dessert glasses and spoon the apricot cream over them. Chill. Before serving, pour over a thin layer of chilled single cream and sprinkle with the grated chocolate.

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Melting Moments
Here is a fancy cake which would have been eaten at many an afternoon tea.

Ingredients: 4oz cornflour 3oz butter 2oz caster sugar One egg Level teaspoon baking powder Teaspoon grated lemon rind Icing sugar Method Cream the butter (margarine will do) and sugar until light and fluffy and add the lemon rind. Sieve the cornflour and baking powder together. Break the egg into a bowl and beat with a fork. Add a small amount (about a tablespoon) of egg and a similar amount of cornflour alternately to the creamed butter and sugar, beating well between each addition. Place about a dozen paper cake cases in a baking tin and add a teaspoonful of mixture to each case (use the back of another spoon to push it off). Place in a pre-heated oven at 375F/180C/Gas mark 4 and bake 10 minutes until firm and golden (don't let them get beyond a golden colour). Allow the cakes to cool on a rack and then add a dusting of the icing sugar.

Meringues
Crumbly meringues filled with cream are a highlight of any afternoon tea (or any other time, for that matter). They can be messy to eat - but who cares when something tastes as good as this? If you are counting calories, one half of a meringue (minus the cream) is great on top of fresh fruit salad. The recipe below comes from the from Scottish women's rural institute collection. Ingredients: 4 egg whites 225g (8oz or 2 cups) castor sugar (or granulated if castor is not available) Method: Whisk the egg whites until the bowl can be held upside down - just be careful at the earlier

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stages! Add approximately one third of the sugar and beat again. Then fold in the rest of the sugar with a metal spoon. Cover 2 large baking trays with baking parchment. Place oval mounds of meringue using two large spoons (or pipe mix with icing bag) onto the trays. Dust with a little caster sugar and place in a cool oven 150C (300F or Gas mark 2) for 5 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 110C (225F or Gas mark -1) for 2 hours. You can test if they are ready by peeling one off the paper - if it comes off whole, they are ready. Leave to cool completely. Later, sandwich two halves together with whipped cream.

Oatmeal Cakes
Oatmeal was a staple of the Scottish diet and has been described as "the backbone of many a sturdy Scotsman." It was used in many ways - porridge, oatcakes, brose (oatmeal and peasemeal) and scones. Here is a recipe for a sweet oatcake which is more like a biscuit than a conventional oatcake. Ingredients: Teacup of medium oatmeal Teacup of plain flour Half teacup of milk Tablespoon of soft brown sugar 3 oz butter or margarine Level teaspoon salt Level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) Method: Sieve the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, add the oatmeal and mix. Cut the butter or margarine into small portions and rub into the mixture with your fingers. Add the sugar and mix well. Pour in the milk and mix until you have a stiff but workable dough. Shake some flour on a worktop, turn the dough onto it and shake a little flour on the top. Roll out thinly (about half an inch thick) and prick over with a fork. Cut into rounds with a scone cutter and place on an oiled baking tray. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 15/20 minutes at 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4. Use a palette knife to lift the biscuits onto a wire coming rack. Store in an airtight tin.

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Oatmeal Gingerbread
Here is a recipe which uses one of the staples of traditional Scottish diet, oatmeal. Ingredients: 6 ounces flour 2 ounces oatmeal 2 ounces soft brown sugar (light brown sugar) 2 ounces butter 2 tablespoons black treacle (molasses) 1 teaspoon of ground ginger 1 teaspoon mixed spices 1 large egg 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 3 tablespoons milk Note: In Britain a tablespoon holds 17.7 ml while the American tablespoon holds 14.2 ml so you may have to make some adjustments to the above (British) quantities. Method: Line a seven inch square baking tin with greaseproof paper which has been well buttered. Melt the butter, sugar and treacle in a saucepan over a gentle heat. Sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Add the oatmeal and spices. Add the melted butter and treacle mixture, a well beaten egg and the milk to the bowl, stirring well until completely blended. Pour into the baking tin and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F/190C/Gas Mark 4 for about 45 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for ten minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Oatmeal Posset
A "posset" is a hot drink of milk with various additions as a remedy for a cold. But whether you have a cold or not, any drink with honey and whisky has to go down well! Ingredients: One UK pint (20 fluid ounces or 600ml or two and a half US cups) milk Half ounce (15g or 2 tablespoons) medium oatmeal Quarter teaspoon (15g) salt 2 teaspoons (10ml) clear honey (Scottish heather honey if you can!) 1 tablespoon (15ml) whisky (or brandy, if you prefer) Grated nutmeg or cinnamon sticks to taste

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Method: Add the oatmeal and salt to the milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat allow to stand for ten minutes. Strain the liquid into a clean saucepan, pressing the oatmeal to extract as much liquid as possible, discarding the oatmeal at the end. Stir in the honey and grated nutmeg plus the whisky or brandy. Reheat until it is almost boiling and serve immediately in mugs. Instead of using nutmeg, you can put a cinnamon stick into each mug and stir the drink in the mug with this between sips.

Oatmeal Potatoes
Here is a good but simple way to liven up the serving of potatoes - using one of Scotland's traditional ingredients - oatmeal. While pin-head oatmeal (the kernel has been cut in half and the floury meal taken out) any rough oatmeal (such as that used for real porridge) will do. Ingredients: Potatoes (new ones are best) 2 tablespoons pinhead oatmeal 1 tablespoon butter Method: Boil your normal quantity of potatoes in the usual way. While they are cooking, toast the oatmeal slowly on a tray in the oven using a low/medium heat. Drain the potatoes and add the tablespoon of butter. Stir to allow the butter to coat the potatoes. Then add the toasted oatmeal and stir again. Serve the potatoes with a sprinkling of finely chopped parsley or chives.

Oats and Apple Topping

This topping, made from layers of toasted oats and apple, is useful as a topping or "crumble" for cooked fruits. It can also be mixed with cream and soft fruit and served as a kind of "Cranachan". Ingredients: 1 oz (40g or third of a stick) butter 2 oz (50g or 2 tablespoons) brown sugar 4 oz (125g or one cup) rolled oats 4/5 medium cooking apples Juice of half a lemon

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Method: Melt the butter in a pan and add the oats and sugar. Mix well. Spread out in a shallow tin and toast in a moderate oven until they are golden brown. Peel, core and slice the apples. Toss them in the lemon juice and put in a casserole with a tightfitting lid. Bake in a moderate oven until the apples are soft and fluffy (takes about 30 minutes). Beat in the sugar to taste and allow to cool. Using a straight-sided pie-dish, arrange a layer of oats, then apples and repeat until all are used up - finish with a layer of oats. Leave at room temperature for about an hour to allow the flavours to blend.

Oranges an' Whisky

Here is a delicious way to add some additional flavour to oranges to make a great dessert. Ingredients: 4 oranges 2 tablespoons demerara (brown) sugar 3 tablespoons whisky 3 tablespoons water Whipped cream Method: Peel and thinly slice 3 of the oranges, removing all pips and pith. Put the juice from the remaining orange with the sugar, whisky and water in a pan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for two minutes. Add the orange slices and raise the heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Arrange the fruit in a dish and pour any remaining juices from the pan over them. Chill and serve with whipped cream.

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Pan Fried Partridge

Here is a recipe from a master chef
Ingredients (to serve four): 4 partridges Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp olive oil 125 ml (4 fluid ounces or half US cup) stock and 25 ml (two tablespoons) red wine mixed 1 tsp redcurrant jelly 4 thick slices best black pudding (if available) 250g (8 ounces) mixed salad leaves, washed and dried 3 tbsp vinaigrette

Method: I've used partridge for this dish but we often serve this using mallard instead. Pigeon would also work very well. Game and black pudding go really well together especially when contrasted with lovely fresh salad leaves. Carefully remove breasts from the birds and pull of skin. Keep carcasses and legs to make stock. Season partridge breasts with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy based frying pan until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan then breasts, skinned side down. Fry for 2 minutes then turn over and fry for 2 minutes more. Remove partridge from pan and allow to rest on a plate in a warm place. Deglaze pan with stock and red wine, stir in redcurrant jelly, reduce by half, then set aside and keep warm. Fry black pudding in a non-stick pan until crisp on the outside and heated through. Cut or tear slices into bite-sized pieces. To serve, slice partridge thinly. Place a mound of dressed salad leaves on 4 plates. Arrange partridge on top or around salad. Surround with chunks of black pudding and drizzle with reduced jus. Serve immediately.

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Paradise Cake
This is an easy to prepare recipe as it is based on shortcrust pastry which you can obtain from the supermarket (unless you want to make your own). Ingredients: 8 oz shortcrust pastry Raspberry jam 4 oz margarine 4 oz caster sugar (4 rounded tablespoons granulated sugar) 1 beaten egg 2 tablespoons chopped glac cherries 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts 2 tablespoons ground almonds Vanilla essence (extract) Caster sugar (granulated sugar) for dusting Method: Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use it to line a greased 11 inch by 7 inch baking tin. Bake this initially on its own in a pre-heated oven for ten minutes at 350F/175C/Gas Mark 4. Cream the margarine and sugar together and stir in a beaten egg, cherries, walnuts and almonds. Add the vanilla essence/extract and mix well. Spread a layer of raspberry jam on the bottom of the pastry case (after the ten minute baking) and spoon in the mixture on top of the jam. Bake for 30/35 minutes. On removing it from the oven, sprinkle with sugar and leave to cool in the tin. When it is cold, remove from the tin and cut into squares.

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"Parlies" or "Scottish Parliament Cakes"

Not cakes at all, but small biscuits which were first supplied to the gentry and Members of the Scottish Parliament from a shop called "Luckie Fykie" in Waverley, Edinburgh. Ingredients: 8oz plain flower (2.5 cups) 4oz butter or margarine 4oz brown sugar 1 egg 4oz or 2 tablespoons treacle (molasses) 2 teaspoons ground ginger Method: Mix the flour, ginger and sugar thoroughly. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the treacle and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Turn off the heat and add the other ingredients, mixing vigorously with a wooden spoon. When it has cooled sufficiently to handle, scoop up a small quantity of the mixture with a dessertspoon and push off with a teaspoon onto a well greased baking tray or sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork and leave space between each one to allow it to spread. Cook at 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for 25/30 minutes. Use a palette knife to lift the biscuits off the tray and store in an air-tight container.

Partan Bree
Partan is the Scots word for a crab and bree is a liquid in which something edible has been boiled and left to soak. So partan bree is crab soup! Ingredients: 1 large cooked crab 2 oz (50g or cup) rice 1 pint (600ml or 2 cups) milk 1 pint (600ml or 2 cups) liquor from boiling the crab pint (125ml or cup) single cream Salt and pepper Finely chopped chives Method: Remove all the meat from the crab, keeping the claw meat separate. Cook the rice in a pan with the milk and water until tender. Liquidise this with the brown body meat from the crab. Add the white meat and cream and reheat. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the partan bree is too thick, you can add some more milk if required. Serve garnished with fresh, green, finely chopped chives.

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Pears with Cream Cheese Balls

Here's how to add a spicy taste to pears with cream cheese and sauces. Ingredients: 4 ripe pears (or tinned half pears, drained) 8 ounces (250g or one cup) cream cheese 3 ounces flaked almonds, chopped and toasted 4 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup or puree i tablespoon cream Dash of tabasco sauce Dash worcester sauce Juice of a lemon Salt and pepper Lettuce leaves Method: Form the cream cheese into small balls and roll in the almonds; chill for one hour. If using fresh pears, peel, core and cut into half. Brush with lemon juice to prevent discolouration. Mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, cream, tabasco, worcester, salt and pepper. Pile the cheese balls into the pear halves and arrange on a bed of lettuce. Pour the spicy mayonnaise sauce over the pears and serve.

Peppermint Creams
Peppermint creams have been made for generations in Scotland (and, no doubt, elsewhere too!) Ingredients: White from one large egg or two small eggs 8 oz icing sugar (one cup of frosting if you live in the US) Peppermint essence or peppermint oil Method: Beat the egg white in a bowl with a fork and sieve (sift) in 6 oz of icing sugar (frosting). Mix well with a wooden spoon and slowly sieve in more icing sugar, half a tablespoon at a time until you have made a stiff paste. Shake a little icing sugar on the work surface and empty the paste onto this. Add 3/4 drops of peppermint essence or oil and gently knead it together with your fingers until you have a smooth paste. Have a taste of a small piece and if the flavour is not strong enough, add a few more drops of the peppermint.

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Rub icing sugar on a rolling pin and roll the paste to quarter of an inch (0.5cm) thick. Cut out individual peppermint creams with a cutter - a round one or any other shape you have handy. Cover a plate with non-stick parchment or greaseproof paper (vegetable parchment) and place the peppermint shapes on the paper. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight in a cool place (but not the fridge). Store in small paper cases in an airtight tin.

Peppermint Slice
If you like peppermint, you will like this delicious confection. Ingredients: 4 ounces (125g or one stick in the US) margarine 4 ounces (125g or one cup) self raising flour (All-purpose flour with baking powder) 3 ounces (75g or cup) soft brown sugar 2 ounces (60g or one third cup) crushed cornflakes 1 ounce (25g or one rounded table spoon) cocoa powder 1 pound (500g or 2 cups) icing sugar (frosting) 2 teaspoons peppermint essence (extract) 5 tablespoons water A few drops of green colouring (optional) 4 ounces (125g or one stick) chocolate (more if you like thicker chocolate!) Method: Preheat the oven to 325F/170C/Gas Mark 3 (less if a fan assisted oven). Melt the margarine in a non-stick pan and stir in the sugar, crushed cornflakes, cocoa and flour. Line a 9" (23 cm) square tin with baking parchment and spread the mixture into this. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin. Mix the icing sugar (frosting), peppermint essence (extract) and optional colouring with water to create a thick paste and spread over the base. Allow this to set (preferably overnight). Finally, spread with melted chocolate and allow to set. Cut into squares.

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Pickled Onions
For many people in Scotland a dish of fried fish and chips (French fries) would not be complete without a pickled onion. Since they are stored in glass jars they are not easily obtained by mail order. So here is a simple way of making pickled onions for yourself. Ingredients: 4 pounds small onions 4 ounces salt Vary the quantities as required but keep the same ratio of onions and salt. Method: Clean a quantity of small onions and soak overnight in salted water. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Place tightly in a sterilised jar with vinegar totally covering the onions. Store in a cool, dry, dark location for one month. Use within six months.

Porridge
Oatmeal was once described as "the backbone of many a sturdy Scotsman". Porridge was one of the main ways of eating oats, in days gone by. There is a lot of mystique about making porridge and lots of traditions associated with cooking and eating it (most of which can be ignored). The important thing is to obtain good quality medium-ground oats (rather than rolled oats) and to keep stirring it to avoid solid lumps. Ingredients (sufficient for two people): One pint (half litre) water; some people use half water and half milk 2.5 ounces (2.5 rounded tablespoons) medium-ground oats Pinch of salt Method: Bring the water (or water and milk) to a good rolling boil, preferably in a non-stick pan. Slowly pour the oatmeal into the boiling liquid, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon all the time. Keep stirring until it has returned to the boil again, reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer very gently for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the salt at this point and simmer and stir for a further 5/10 minutes (time depends on the quality of the oats). It should be a thick but pourable consistency. Serve hot in wooden bowls if you have them. Traditions: Stirring the porridge should always be clockwise (though going in different directions probably mixes more efficiently). Porridge used to be served with separate bowls of double cream. A spoonful of porridge (in a

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horn spoon) was dipped into a communal bowl of cream before eating. Porridge is eaten standing up. While some people have suggested that this is out of respect for the noble dish, it probably arose from busy farmers doing other things while eating their morning porridge - or as an aid to digestion. While some people frown at the idea of sugar on porridge others not only approve but suggest a tot of whisky. Each to their own! Porridge used to be poured into a "porridge drawer" and, once it had cooled, it could be cut up into slices. These were easier to carry than brittle oatcakes.

Poached Breast of Pheasant, Mushroom and Shallot Couscous

Of course, pheasant and grouse are more easily found in Perthshire than many other parts of the country! The ingredients are sufficient for four people.
Ingredients: 8 Shallots One pound (500g) Mixed Mushrooms 1.75 pints (1 litre = 1 US quart = 4.25 cups) fresh Chicken Stock 200g (7 ounces) Couscous 4 Pheasant Breasts Seasoning to taste

Method: Peel and slice the shallots, place in a pan with a little oil and cook for 5 minutes with a little colour. In another pot, put chicken stock on and bring to boil, trim and chop the mushrooms, keep the trimmings. Put the mushrooms into the pan with the shallots and cook for a further 5 minutes. Put the couscous into a large bowl, add the mushroom and shallot mixture, pour over 400 ml (just under half) of the boiling chicken stock and leave for 15-20 minutes, stir occasionally with a fork. Season the Pheasant breasts, place them into the stock together with the mushroom trimmings and poach gently for 7-12 minutes, remove from the stock and keep warm. Reduce remaining stock down to about 100-150 ml, pass through a sieve to remove mushroom trimmings and add a little olive oil and red wine vinegar to create a warm vinaigrette sauce. Check couscous for seasoning and place onto heated plates, top with Pheasant Breasts, spoon vinaigrette around and serve.

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Potato Scones
Like many traditional Scottish recipes this uses basic ingredients which were always ready to hand.

Ingredients: Half pound (225g) boiled and mashed potatoes 2.5oz (65g) flour 3 tablespoons melted butter Half teaspoon salt Method: Mash the potatoes while they are still warm and add the butter and salt. Add in enough flour to make it a pliable dough but without making it too dry. The type of potato will affect this. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll until about quarter of an inch thick. Cut into six inch circles and then into quarters. Prick all over with a fork and cook in a heavy pan which has been lightly greased. Cook each side for about three minutes or until golden brown. If you want to really add the calories, put cheese between two scones and cook until the cheese has melted.

Potato Cheese Cakes

This is a variation on the recipe for Potato Scones.

Ingredients: Half pound (225g) boiled and mashed potatoes 2.5oz (65g) flour 3 tablespoons melted butter Half teaspoon salt 4oz grated cheese 2 well beaten eggs Method: Mash the potatoes while they are still warm and add the butter and salt. Add in enough flour to make it a pliable dough but without making it too dry. The type of potato will affect this. Add four ounces of grated cheese and two well beaten eggs to the potato and flour. Make into small round cakes, dip in breadcrumbs or flour and fry until golden brown on each side.

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Potato Soup
As in Ireland, potatoes became a staple of the diet of Scotland and was used in many recipes. Here is a recipe for a thick and hearty soup made from this ubiquitous vegetable. Ingredients: 1 medium onion or leek, finely chopped 3 stalks celery, finely chopped 3 medium-sized potatoes peeled and diced Cup of milk 2 oz/50 g butter (1/2 stick) A further one or two tablespoons of butter Salt and pepper Fresh parsley (or chives or dill) for garnish Method: Chop the vegetables into roughly even sized pieces. Melt the butter and saut the onion until they are yellow and soft. Add the other vegetables and continue sauting with the lid on, over a low heat, for 5-10 minutes. Add 3 cups water or stock and season with salt and pepper and add the bay leaf. Cook until the vegetables are tender. When vegetables are ready, remove the bay leaf and add 1 cup of milk and 1-2 tablespoons butter. Reheat (but dont boil). Once the soup is on the soup plate, garnish with parsley (or chives or dill). Serve with crusty bread and butter.

Prawns in Whisky Cream

This is a tasty starter for any meal. Combining whisky and cream makes for a very rich sauce. Quantities are sufficient for six people. Ingredients: 12 ounces (375g) shelled prawns 5 fluid ounces (150ml or generous half cup) double cream 2 tablespoons whisky 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 ounces (60g or half stick) grated cheese 1 ounce (30g or quarter stick) butter Salt and pepper Chopped parsley to garnish Method: Butter six ramekin dishes (moulded baking dishes). Melt the butter in a pan and fry the chopped onions until soft. Then add the prawns and heat through. Then add the whisky and cook for another two minutes. Stir in the cream, heat, but remove before it reaches boiling point. Season to taste and pour into the ramekin (moulded baking) dishes. Sprinkle the grated cheese on

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top and brown under a hot grill. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley.

Prince Charlie's Pancakes

It is unlikely that Bonnie Prince Charlie made pancakes using his precious recipe for the drink which later became known as Drambuie. But there is no doubt that the addition of a liqueur, made from the finest Scotch malt whisky, sweetened with a hint of heather honey and flavoured with herbs, makes this a lot more than a humble pancake!
Ingredients: 4 ounces (125g or one cup) plain (all-purpose) flour 2 beaten eggs Half pint (300ml or 1 cups) milk 1 ounce (25g or 2 tablespoons) lard (shortening) 3 ounces (85g or stick) butter or margarine 4 ounces (125g or half cup) caster (superfine) sugar 2 tablespoons (30ml) Drambuie Grated rind and juice from 3 large oranges Grated rind and juice from two large lemons Pinch of salt

Method: Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a hollow in the centre. Stir in the beaten eggs and half the milk and beat until you have a smooth batter. Then slowly stir in the other half of the milk. Melt a little lard in an 8 inch (20cm) frying pan (skillet). Pour in enough batter to cover the base of the pan, swirling the pan so that it becomes evenly coated. Fry (saut) for a few minutes until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn the pancakes over and cook the other side. Then slide on to a tea towel (dish cloth) and keep warm. Make more pancakes in the same way until the batter is used up (there should be enough for about eight pancakes). Melt the butter (or margarine) in another frying pan (skillet), then stir in the sugar and cook for one minute. Add the grated rind and juice of the oranges and lemons and bring to the boil. Then add the Drambuie and simmer gently for three minutes. Fold the pancakes into quarters and place in the frying pan. Cook gently for three minutes, spooning the sauce over the top, until heated through. Serve immediately.

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Here's a simple cheesecake which uses two ingredients for which Scotland is well known whisky (of course) and raspberries. Two thirds of the raspberries grown in Britain come from Scotland, many of them from Blairgowrie. Instead of raspberries, you can use other soft fruit such as blackcurrants or loganberries. The quantities below should provide six portions of cheesecake. Ingredients for the Base: 4 ounces butter 8 ounces digestive biscuits (also known as Graham crackers in some parts of the world) 1 tablespoon Scotch whisky Ingredients for the Filling: 8 ounces cream cheese 2 ounces caster sugar (granulated sugar in North America) 10 fluid ounces double cream (Note that 8 fluid ounces = One cup or half a US pint) 1 tablespoon Scotch whisky Ingredients for the Topping: 8 ounces raspberries 2 tablespoons honey 3 fluid ounces (6 tablespoons) Scotch whisky 3 level teaspoons arrowroot 1 level teaspoon caster sugar (granulated sugar in North America) 5 fluid ounces whipping cream 1 tablespoon Scotch whisky Method: Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, add the tablespoon of whisky, crush the digestive biscuits (Graham crackers) and add to the pan. Mix well and then press into a greased, loose-bottomed 8inch cake tin and chill for about half an hour in the fridge Beat the cream cheese and sugar together. Whip the double cream and whisky until softly stiff and fold into the cream mixture. Spread over the biscuit base and chill. Soak the raspberries in the honey and whisky for about 30 minutes. Strain the raspberries. You will need about 4 fluid ounces of juice and you may have to top it up with whisky if necessary. Take two ounces of juice and the arrowroot and mix to form a paste. Heat the rest of the juice with the sugar until almost boiling and then stir in the arrowroot paste and continue stirring over a low heat until the glaze is thick. Then stir the raspberries into the glaze and leave until cool. Spread the raspberries and glaze over the base. Whip the cream mixed with a tablespoon of whisky until softly stiff and then decorate the cheesecake. Finally, sprinkle a tablespoon of malt whisky over the top just before serving.

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Ratafia Biscuits
Ratafia biscuits are used in making Scotch Trifle and as you may not be able to obtain them locally, here is how you can make them for yourself. Ratafia essence is made from bitter almonds or the kernels of peaches or apricots. If you can't get this ingredient, use another suitable flavouring. Another solution entirely is to use almond flavoured cookies or dried macaroons instead. Ingredients 2 egg whites 1 oz (25g) butter 4oz (125g) ground almonds Rice paper 6oz (175g) castor sugar 1 tablespoon flour 4 drops of ratafia essence Rice paper Method Beat the egg whites until they are stiff. Mix the butter and sugar, then add the flour and ground almonds. Mix well and then fold into the egg whites and beat into a smooth paste. Once it starts to stiffen, place in an icing bag with a plain pipe and place drops of around half an inch (1.2cm) on the rice paper, about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350F (18oC or gas mark 4) for 15/20 minutes.

Rhubarb Oatmeal Crumble

Using the traditional ingredient of oatmeal gives this crumble a lovely crisp, nutty top. And of course, if you don't like rhubarb, you can use fruits such as apple, black currants or gooseberries instead. The quantities below will make a crumble sufficient for 4 people. Ingredients for Rhubarb: 1 pound (450g) rhubarb or other fruit 2 oz (60g or a generous one third of a US cup) sugar 3 or 4 tablespoons of water A squeeze of lemon Ingredients for the Crumble: 2 oz (60g or US cup) flour 1 oz (25g or US cup) coarse oatmeal (the fresher the better) 2 oz (60g or a generous one third of a US cup) brown sugar 2 oz (60g or US stick) butter or margarine Method: Cook the fruit with the sugar, water and lemon juice until it is soft but not mushy. Place in a deep

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pie dish. Mix together the ingredients for the crumble in the order given above. Warm the butter or margarine until it is soft (but not oily) before adding in. Once the crumble has been well mixed, sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F/200C/gas mark 6 for 20 minutes in the hottest part of the oven (near the top) or until the crumble is brown and crunchy.

Roasted Grouse
This recipe for roast grouse includes black pudding (you may have to omit this if it is not available) and griddled green vegetables Ingredients (to serve four): 1lb 2 oz new potatoes 4 sticks celery 1 leek 2 small courgettes 12 baby asparagus tips 8 baby onions 3 tbsp olive oil 2 oz butter 4 whole grouse [oven ready] 4 oz shallots 2 stalks of fresh thyme , chopped 1 fl oz Madeira Half pint game or beef jus (gravy) 4 slices black pudding salt and pepper to taste Method: Place the new potatoes in a pan, cover with salted water and three-quarter cook (10-12 minutes). Drain and refresh under cold water until cool. While the potatoes are cooking, wash trim and cut the celery, leek, and courgette crossways in to 2cm rounds at an angle. Leave the asparagus and onions whole. Lightly season the vegetables and brush with olive oil. Preheat a griddle pan. Slice the new potatoes lengthways into quarters and fry them with the vegetables on the griddle to create a criss-cross effect. Remove and place on oven tray to reheat later. Preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Heat the remaining olive oil and 1oz of the butter in a heavy based frying pan. Season the grouse and seal on all sides of the pan. Place in a roasting tray and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes. Leave to rest for approximately 5 minutes.

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To make the sauce, peel and finely shred the shallots. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan, add the shallots and thyme and cover. Cook for about 2 minutes, until just transparent. Add the Madeira and the game or beef jus and bring to the boil. Strain and set aside. Grill the black pudding on both sides until cooked and crispy. Place on kitchen paper to drain for a few seconds. While the black pudding is cooking, place the vegetables back into the oven for 2 - 3 minutes to reheat. To assemble the dish, place a slice of black pudding in the centre of each plate and arrange some vegetables and potatoes around it. Place the grouse next to the black pudding. Season the sauce and spoon over.

Roastit Bubbly-Jock
Christmas (and Thanksgiving in the US) is a time when millions of roast turkeys are consumed. In Scotland, turkey was called "bubbly-jock" and roasting and stuffing evolved using local produce. At one time, when oysters were cheap and plentiful, they formed parts of the stuffing. But here is a more modern (but still traditional) version. Ingredients: Large (7 to 8lbs, 3.5kg) self-basting turkey (sufficient for 6 people) Half cup of milk 1 cups of fresh breadcrumbs 1 stalk of finely chopped or grated celery 1 finely chopped or grated onion 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley Half a cup chopped water chestnuts (tinned variety are fine) 10oz/300g chopped chicken livers 8oz/250g sausage mince (ground sausage meat) 2oz/60g melted butter Teaspoon of Worcester sauce Pinch of nutmeg 2 cups warm water 2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly or similar Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Mix the milk, breadcrumbs, chopped celery, onions, chestnuts, nutmeg, plus one tablespoon parsley and half of the chicken livers. Then place the sausage mince, teaspoon of parsley and the Worcester sauce in another bowl and mix well. Remove any giblets from the turkey, rinse well (inside and out) and dry off. Press the breadcrumb mixture into the turkey cavity, making sure it is well filled. Seal the end with skewers. Press the mince into the bird via the neck cavity and again seal with skewers (toothpicks sometimes do the trick). Place the turkey on a baking rack in a deep baking tray. Add the warm water and remaining

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livers to the tray. Brush the turkey all over with melted butter. Bake the bird, basing the cooking time on 20 minutes per pound of bird, plus another 20 minutes. From time to time, baste the bird with the juices in the pan. When cooking is complete, remove the tray and the turkey from the oven and allow the bird to stand for about ten minutes. Put the pan juices plus the redcurrant jelly (or similar) into a small pan and heat vigorously for ten minutes, reducing the sauce by half, stirring continuously. Pass the sauce through a fine strainer and serve with the turkey (and your own selection of vegetables).

Roast Rack of Lamb with Herb Crust

I have seen - and bought - racks of lamb for sale in butchers' departments of supermarkets and they are so convenient, especially when you are only a few for lunch. They cook so much more quickly than a large leg of lamb. How long you roast it depends on how pink you like to eat your lamb. Do trim as much fat as possible off each rack, because it doesn't get a chance to crisp up under the herb crust.

I serve this with a sauced vegetable, like leeks in a nutmeg-flavoured creamy white sauce, and with crispy sauted potatoes with paprika. Allow 2 - 3 chops per person, depending on their ages and therefore, to a great extent, their appetites. Ingredients (for six people): 2 oz/56g/half stick butter 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped as finely as possible 1 clove of garlic, skinned and very finely chopped 6 oz/170 g/1 cups day-old breadcrumbs made from baked bread, as opposed to steamed sliced bread; cut off crusts before whizzing the bread to crumbs Salt and pepper 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley, snipped chives and chopped tarragon 2 racks of lamb each with 6 - 7 chops in it Method: Melt the butter and heat the oil together and saut the onion in this till it is really soft - about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook for a minute. Then stir in the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, off the heat, and lastly the chopped herbs. Mix all together very well. Trim all the fat you can from the racks. Lay them so that the fat side is uppermost, flat. Spoon over the herb crust, pressing it down well, and roast in a hot oven, 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6, for 25 minutes - 30 minutes if you prefer slightly better-cooked lamb.

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White Rolls
There are a number of special regional rolls (such as the Aberdeen morning rolls or "Rowies") but this a recipe for plain white bread rolls. The finished rolls should be light and airy. Ingredients (makes 16 rolls): 500g/1lb plain white flour 2 teaspoons salt 275ml/10oz warm water 2 teaspoons dried yeast 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons vegetable oil Method: Dissolve the yeast and sugar into about half the quantity of warm water in a jug and leave in a warm place with a cloth over the top. The yeast will begin to froth in about ten minutes. The flour should be in a large bowl with the salt added and mixed. The flour should preferably be slightly warm too. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and knead, either by hand or with a mixer with a dough hook. Add more water to make the texture so that it does not stick to your hands but is moist. Once it is well kneaded, form it into a ball, cover the bowl with a cloth and leave in a warm place. When the mixture has risen to about double its original size, knead it again until it has returned to its original volume. The dough can then be divided into 16 and formed into individual balls. Pull the dough from the top to the bottom so that the top looks smooth. Place on lightly oiled oven trays, leaving space between each one, and cover with a cloth. Leave the rolls to rise again in a warm place, for about 30 minutes. Finally, bake in a hot oven, 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for about 20 minutes, until brown on top - some people prefer their rolls "lightly fired" while others prefer to bake them for longer and have a more burnt surface.

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"Rumbled" Smoked Salmon

Elsewhere in this collection of recipes is one using cabbage and mashed potatoes for "Colcannon" which is known as Rumbledethumps in the Scottish Borders. Here is a variation on this with added onions, smoked salmon and cream, to make it extra special. Ingredients: 8 ounces (250g) cooked cabbage 1 pound (500g) cooked and mashed potatoes 1 small onion, finely chopped 6 ounces (185g) sliced smoked salmon 3 ounces (90g or stick) butter 3 fluid ounces (90ml or 6 tablespoons or half cup) soured cream Salt and pepper to taste Method:

Preheat the oven to 375F (190C or Gas Mark 5) and grease a large baking tray. Fry the finely chopped onion in butter in a pan until soft and golden (but not burnt). Remove from the heat, add the cooked cabbage and mashed potatoes, season with salt and pepper to taste and mash/mix well. Shape into rounds about inch thick and to a size which suits you. Place the rounds on the greased baking tray and cook for 10/15 minutes (depending on size). Allow to cool a little and place a folded slice of smoked salmon on each round with a teaspoonful of soured cream on top.

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Salmon and Whisky Sauce

Although much of it is produced these days by fish farms, rather than the famous rivers like the Spey and Tweed, salmon is now a relatively low cost food. Here is a great way of of getting that special taste of Scotland with salmon (or many other fish). The quantities given below are sufficient for six people. As with most cooking, it is best just to use blended whisky rather than more expensive malt. Main Ingredient: Six salmon steaks Ingredients for poaching: 5 fluid ounces (150ml or two-thirds of a cup) Scotch whisky pint (5 fluid ounces/150ml/two-thirds of a cup) water 8 black peppercorns 3 bay leaves 1 chopped carrot 1 finely chopped onion 3 tablespoons lemon juice teaspoon thyme Salt and pepper to taste Ingredients for whisky butter sauce: 3 egg yolks 1 tablespoon lemon juice 4 ounces (125g or one stick) butter 3 tablespoons Scotch whisky 3 tablespoons of the liquid used for poaching Method: Place all the ingredients for the poaching liquid in a pan and gently poach the salmon for 7-10 minutes or until the fish is cooked. Strain and reserve the poaching liquid. Place the salmon on a warm serving plate, cover and keep hot. Make the butter sauce by whisking the egg yolks and lemon juice together. Place in a heat-proof bowl and set over a pan of hot but not boiling water on a very low heat. Whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in the butter gradually, allowing a small amount to melt at a time. If any lumps appear in the mixture, remove the bowl from the heat and add a teaspoon of cold water before placing back on the heat. Once all the butter has been mixed in and the sauce is to the required thickness, remove from the heat and add in the three tablespoons of whisky and the three tablespoons of poaching liquid. Pour over the salmon and serve with fresh vegetables.

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Scallops Salad with Perthshire Asparagus, Citrus Dressing

With the sea not far from even inland areas of Scotland, fresh seafood is often on the menu of restaurants in Scotland. This recipe is by an award-winning Head Chef.
Ingredients: Citrus Dressing 1 Orange 1 Lemon 2 dessert spoons (about 30ml) caster sugar 3 tablespoons (nine teaspoons) Olive Oil

Salad Leaves (Chef's Recommendations) 1 Curly Endive lettuce 1 Radicchio lettuce 50g (2 ounces) Rocket 50g (2 ounces) Mache Scallops 6 Large scallops Olive Oil Lemon Juice Salt & Pepper Herb Oil 250g (8 ounces) Flat Leaf Parsley 200ml (8 ounces) Olive Oil Garnish 1 Bunch of Asparagus Method: Citrus Dressing Remove the skin from the orange and lemon place in a blender with the caster sugar, blitz adding the olive oil slowly until all incorporated & smooth. Pass through a fine sieve, and season to taste. Salad leaves Pick the stalks from all the leaves wash and spin dry salad. Cover with a damp cloth and store in the fridge. Scallops Remove the scallops from the shell. Remove all skirt and roe, clean the scallop. Cut the scallops in half, horizontally and pan fry until golden brown, turn over season with salt, pepper & lemon juice and remove from the heat.

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Herb Oil Blanch the parsley in boiling salted water for 20 seconds and refresh in ice water. Place the parsley in a blender with the olive oil. Blitz until smooth. Pour the oil into a muslin cloth and tie up. Leave the oil to drip through. Reserve until needed. Garnish Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for 1 minute & refresh in ice water. Dress in butter and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Scallops Wrapped in Parma Ham with Stuffing

This scallops recipe is by another head chef in Glasgow. The stuffing is sausage meat with thyme, sage and apple. It is a relatively simple recipe, ideal for those not too confident of cooking with seafood. Ingredients: 5 Scallops Parma Ham (for three of the scallops) Stuffing 1 pound (500g = two cups) of sausage meat Two ounces (50 grams = one cup) of breadcrumbs 8 sprigs of sage 1 egg 1 apple Seasoning Sauce (Red wine reduction with shallots) 17.5 UK fluid ounces (500ml = 1 US pint = 2 cups) of red wine 1.75 ounces (50 grams = quarter cup) of brown sugar 2 Banana shallots Teaspoon beef stock Salt (preferably sea salt) Pepper Method: For the stuffing: add all the ingredients in a bowl mix it up, roll it out. Two bits of cling film, wrapped in a sausage shape, and then tin foil. Put a bit of water underneath so it doesnt burn. Put it in the oven 180C for ten minutes. For the red wine reduction: Put the wine in a pan and when it starts to boil, add sugar to make the syrup, add the beef stock and also a couple of sprigs of thyme. Fry off two banana shallots in a frying pan, thinly sliced. Strain your stock into the pan that

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will be your sauce. Set that aside. Scallops: Wrap three scallops in Parma ham. Take all five scallops and cook them off in a really hot pan. Add a bit of oil and sea salt. Put the scallops in the oven and turn them over for no more than 1 minute at 200C. Bring them out. Bring out the stuffing to let it cool. To serve, slice up the sausage meat in a diagonal. Place the meat in the centre of the plate. Drizzle the sauce on the plate. Place the 3 scallops with Parma ham in a triangular shape in the centre of the plate and place the scallops that are not wrapped opposite each other. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

Scones
Scones (from the Gaelic word "sgoon" and rhymed with "gone" not "bones") are a favourite in Scotland (and elsewhere). The recipe below is for what are known as rich white scones. These can form the basis of many varieties including sultana scones, treacle scones and jam scones. Ingredients: 8oz/250g or two cups of self raising flower (Or "all-purpose" flour with 3 teaspoons baking powder in North America) 1 oz/25g ( stick) of butter or margarine. pint (140ml or half to cup) sour cream One beaten egg Pinch of salt Method: Preheat the oven to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. Sift the dry ingredients together and then rub in the butter. Pour in the sour cream and then the beaten egg in the centre of the mixture and mix to obtain a soft elastic dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out to about inch (1.2cm) thick. Prick over with a fork and cut into small rounds with a cutter about 1 inches (3.8cm) in diameter. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Scones are delicious if served warm. Cut in two and spread with butter and/or jam (preserves) to add even more flavour and moisture.

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Gluten Free Scones

A number of chefs and restaurants are catering these days for the specific dietary requirements of the growing number of people who are diagnosed as suffering from coelial disease. . The only effective treatment is a lifelong diet from which gluten is absent..
Ingredients: Gluten-free Flour - 8 ounces (250g or 2 US cups) Gluten-free flour. (Glutafin Pastry works well as it has less raising agents). Baking Powder - one teaspoon. One Egg, beaten. Melted Butter - 1 ounce (25g, quarter US stick) Yogurt or butter milk - 8 ounces (250ml or one US cup).

Method: Mix the egg, melted butter and yogurt/buttermilk together well. Place the dry ingredients into a bowl and slowly add the wet ingredients. Beat well until the mixture is smooth and is of dropping consistency. Allow to stand for ten minutes. Using a spoon, drop dollops of the mixture into a hot, wellgreased, non-stick pan. Cook until bubbles begin appearing on the top and the underside is golden. Flip and cook until the second side is golden also. Serve with fresh fruit or berries, Greek yogurt, maple syrup - or just simply with butter.

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Scotch Broth
Mutton was a frequent ingredient in Scottish meals and when Scotch Broth soup was being made, the mutton would often be used as the main course, rather than being chopped up and returned to the pot. The quantities noted below will make enough soup for six people. You can use a boiling fowl (stewing fowl) instead of mutton, in which case it is called "Hen Broth".

Ingredients 1lb mutton or one-year-old neck of lamb 3 pints of water 1oz pearl barley and 2oz dried peas, soaked overnight A large carrot a large onion, a small leek (all sliced), a small diced turnip and 4oz shredded cabbage 1 level tablespoon of chopped parsley Method Trim any excess fat from the mutton and put in a large pan with the water, pearl barley, peas and seasoning. Bring to the boil and simmer for an hour. Add the carrot, onion, leek and turnip, return to the boil and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the vegetables are just cooked. Add the cabbage and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove the mutton from the pot and trim off the meat (into small pieces if they are to be served with the soup) and return it to the pot, discarding the bone. Skim off any fat, season to taste and sprinkle parsley on the piping hot bowls of soup before serving.

Scotch Collops
The word collop comes from the French "escalope" and is dish which has been cooked in Scotland for a long time - this recipe is based on one which was published in the 18th century. Ingredients: 4 slices of veal escalopes 3 ounces (90g or stick) butter Half lemon peel, finely grated 3 tablespoons white wine 3 tablespoons chicken or veal stock 2 tablespoons cream 1 egg yolk

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Pinch of ground mace Salt and pepper to taste A little seasoned flour Method: Trim off any fat and beat the escalopes, then roll them in seasoned flour. Heat the butter in a pan and when it is foaming, brown the escalopes thoroughly on both sides. Add the lemon rind and mace and pour the wine and stock over the escalopes and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the meat is tender. Put the veal onto a warmed dish. Beat the egg yolk with the cream and stir into the pan juices. Reheat, stirring well - but do not reboil. Pour over the veal and serve.

Scotch Eggs
Here is a simple recipe for making a traditional Scottish dish which is still popular served either hot, or cold at picnics.

Ingredients: 1lb sausage meat 5 hard boiled eggs, with shells removed 1 large raw egg 3oz approx of dry breadcrumbs Pinch of mace, salt, freshly ground pepper Small quantity of flour 1 tablespoon water Method: Dust the hard boiled eggs in a little flour. Mix the mace, salt and pepper with the sausage meat and divide into five equal portions. Place on a floured surface. Wrap/mould the sausage meat round the egg, making sure there are no gaps. Beat the egg and water together and coat the meatcovered egg with this and then breadcrumbs (you may have to press the crumbs onto the meat). Deep fry in hot oil (360F/185C) taking care as you put the eggs into the oil. Cook for about 5/6 minutes. If you don't have a deep fat fryer, they can be cooked in oil in a frying pan, turning frequently to ensure the meat is fully cooked. Drain and serve hot or allow to cool and keep in a refrigerator for a cold snack later.

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Scotch Mist
Here's a great dessert for summer. You can vary the amount of whisky to taste, of course, but don't overdo it! The quantities should be sufficient for six people. Ingredients: Three quarters of a pint/15 fluid ounces / 450 ml / two cups (scant) or one US pint of double cream 3 tablespoons whisky (50ml - note that US tablespoons are smaller than those in the UK) 3 ounces / 75g meringues, coarsely crushed One pound / 450g fresh strawberries, chopped. Keep some strawberry halves back for decoration. 6 leaves of mint Method: Mix the whisky into the cream and whip until it just holds its shape. Fold in the crushed pieces of meringue and chopped strawberries. Spoon the mixture into six glasses, cover and chill for about 15/20 minutes. Decorate each glass with strawberry halves and the mint leaves before serving.

Scotch Pie
Large numbers of Scotch Pies are sold in Scotland every day - they are an original "fast food" and are often sold at the half-time interval at football (soccer) matches. The pies are made in special straight-sided moulds, roughly 3-3 inches (7.5-8.5cm) in diameter and about 1 inches (4cm) deep. A pastry lid, inside the pie, covers the meat about inch (1cm) below the rim. This leaves a space at the top of the pie which can be filled, if required - with hot gravy, baked beans, mashed (creamed) potatoes etc. The meat is usually mutton (sometimes of varying quality). Many bakers have their own recipes and add spices to give additional flavour - there is now an annual competition for the best Scotch Pie. Grannie Black, in Candleriggs in Glasgow, was a character who had such a reputation for such good mutton pies that people came from far and wide - the pub named after her (pictured here) has, unfortunately, been demolished.

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The quantities below should make roughly 8/10 pies. Ingredients for the Meat Filling: 1 pound (500g or two cups) lean lamb, minced (ground) Pinch of mace or nutmeg Salt and pepper Quarter pint (150ml) gravy Ingredients for the Hot Water Pastry: 1 pound (500g or four cups) plain flour 6 ounces (175g or cup) lard 6 fluid ounces (225ml or cup) approximately of water Pinch of salt Milk for glazing You will also need glasses or jars, approximately 3-3 inches (7.5-8.5cm) in diameter to shape the pie. Method: Create the filling by mixing the minced (ground) lamb, spice and seasoning. Make the pastry by sifting the flour and salt into a warm bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour. Melt the lard in a scant measure of water and, when it is bubbling, add to the flour and mix thoroughly. Take a small amount (remember the mixture should make 8/10 pies, with their tops) and form into a ball and keep the rest warm while making each pastry case. This is done by rolling a suitable amount for each pie and shaping the crust round the base of a glass or jar approximately 3-3 inches (7.5-8.5cm) in diameter. Make sure there are no cracks in the pastry you can trim round the top of the case to make it even. As the pastry cools and gets cool, remove the glass and continue until you have about a quarter of the pastry left to make the lids. Fill the cases with the meat and add the gravy to make the meat moist. Roll the remaining pastry and use the glass to cut the lids. Wet the edges of the lids, place over the meat and press down lightly over the filling. Pinch the edges and trim. Cut a small hole or vent in the centre of the lid (to allow the steam to escape). Glaze with milk and bake for about 45 minutes at 275F/140C/Gas mark 1. If the pies are not eaten immediately, they can be stored in the 'fridge but always ensure they are properly reheated before being eaten.

Scotch Trifle
This is a popular sweet, particularly at Christmas time. The version below is known as the "Typsy Laird" as it contains sherry and Drambuie liqueur (or else whisky or brandy). If you don't want to be typsy, you can use fruit juice instead. Likewise, if you don't want to make your own custard, the commercial variety will do. You can make your own ratafia biscuits or use almond flavoured cookies or dried macaroons instead.

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Ingredients: 6 sponge cakes Half pound raspberry or strawberry jam 2oz ratafia biscuits Rind from a lemon, finely grated Vanilla essence/extract Quarter pint double (whipping) cream Flaked browned almonds, glac cherries, angelica Quarter pint medium sweet sherry 2 tablespoons Drambuie Ingredients for Custard: 4 egg yolks 2 egg whites 1 pint milk 1oz caster (granulated) sugar Method: The custard is made by putting the milk and sugar into a saucepan and bringing to the boil. Mix egg yolks and whites and pour the hot milk over them, stirring well. Return to the saucepan and stir over a gentle heat with a wooden spoon. When the custard runs in ribbons down the back of the spoon, strain into a basin and cover with dampened greaseproof paper to stop a skin forming. Split the sponges, mix with jam and put in a glass dish. Crush the ratafia biscuits and scatter on top with the lemon rind. Mix the sherry and Drambuie and pour over the sponges. Leave to soak. Pour the custard evenly over the sponge etc. Whip the cream until stiff and sweeten a little, if preferred. Spread over the trifle. Sprinkle with flaked almonds, small ratafia biscuits, sliced angelica. If you have any "hundreds and thousands" confection, sprinkle that on too, just before the trifle is served..

Scottish Beef Fillet with Wild Mushroom & Tarragon Mash, Green Vegetables & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Scottish beef has a world-wide reputation - although this recipe by a Head Chef in Edinburgh, can obviously be made with any top quality fillet steak, if you don't have any from Scotland!
Ingredients: 6 x 8oz (225g) Fillet Steaks 500g (One pound) Wild Mushrooms

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Handful Tarragon leaves - remove stalks 8 - 10 medium Potatoes 1 bunch Asparagus 1 bunch Green Beans Mange Tout & Sugar Snaps - quantity as desired 4 Red Peppers 1 Shallot 1 clove Garlic Vegetable Stock 1 sprig Thyme (stalks removed) Butter Olive Oil Seasoning

Method: For The Wild Mushroom & Tarragon Mash: Clean mushrooms, remove the stalks and roughly chop. Fry mushrooms in a bit of butter and olive oil, season. Once cooked, remove all excess oil. For the mash, peel and half the potatoes, steam or boil until soft. Once soft remove and drain. Add butter, salt and a touch of cream and then mash. Once mashed add your wild mushrooms and chopped tarragon and check seasoning. For The Sauce: Roast the red peppers in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade. Remove from the oven, put in a bowl and place cling film over the bowl. Leave to cool, this will allow the peppers to peel easily. Cut up the shallots and cook in a pan with a little olive oil until soft. Add your chopped garlic and peeled peppers and cover with vegetable stock. Add one sprig of thyme with no stalks and cook for 10 - 12 minutes on a low heat. With a hand blender, blend and pass through a fine sieve. For The Fillet Steaks: pan fry the fillet steaks until golden brown all over. Place in oven to cook for desired time. Season when about to serve. For The Vegetables: Place a pot of water on the stove, add some salt. Cut Asparagus to about finger size and peel the stalk finely. Top and tail the green beans. Drop the asparagus into boiling water for 30-45 seconds. Remove and refresh with cold water. Repeat for the green beans but only for 20 seconds. Then the mange tout and sugar snaps for a few seconds. Arrange on plate to serve.

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Sea Bream, Pan Fried, with Chargrilled Sweet Potatoes

. The quantities given will serve four people. Ingredients: 1 kilo/2 pounds sea bream fillets (four fillets) 500g/one pound sweet potatoes 250g/half pound plum tomatoes 100ml/4 fluid ounces/US half cup olive oil One medium red onion 75g/2 ounces parsley Two medium lemons Chervil to garnish Method: Thinly slice potatoes into rounds, dress with half the oil, season and then fry in the griddle pan. Mark them on one side and then to complete cooking, finish them in the oven for a further 5 minutes at 200 C. De-seed and chop tomatoes into small dice, then peel onion and chop to same size as tomato. Roughly chop parsley, mix with tomatoes and red onion then squeeze juice of one lemon into the mix. Add 50 ml (2 ounces/ US quarter cup) olive oil and season, mix well and keep salsa in fridge. Brush sea bream fillets with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place skin-side down in a hot frying pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Then turn and cook for a further 2 minutes. Once cooked, keep hot. To serve, place 2 teaspoons of salsa mix in the centre of the plate, add hot potato slices on to salsa, then place fish on top. Garnish with lemon wedge and sprig of chervil.

Sea Bream with Tomatoes and Artichoke Puree

When Scotsman William Reid established his hotel on the island of Madeira in the 19th century. The traditions of high quality service and good living have survived to the present day. Here is a recipe from Reid's Hotel. The quantities are sufficient for six people Ingredients: 6, x 5 ounce Sea bream fillets 1 lb artichoke hearts 1 lb tomatoes 2 pints of cherry tomatoes 1 small onion 2 cloves of garlic 1 cup double cream

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1 tbsp dry white wine chopped parsley 3 ozs unsalted butter 4 tbsp oil 1 cup olive oil Method: Sautee onion and chopped garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add peeled chopped tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and puree until smooth. Strain through fine sieve and return to heat. Whisk in half a cup of cream and season. Remove from heat and keep warm. Combine the cooked artichoke hearts with the butter and half cup of cream in the food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. Strain through sieve adding more cream if necessary. Season and keep chilled. Sautee cherry tomatoes in olive oil until coated. Add white wine and simmer until tender. Remove from heat and add parsley. Season and keep warm. In a large pan heat the vegetable oil, season the sea bream fillets and place on their skin in the pan. Sear on both sides to cook and then remove and keep warm. To serve, pour a little of the artichoke puree, tomato puree around the plate. Spoon out some of the cherry tomatoes and place the sea bream fillets on top.

Selkirk Bannock
This is unlike the traditional oatcake bannock, more of a fruit cake. It was first made by a baker in Selkirk and was initially only made for festive occasions such as Christmas.

Ingredients: 1 lb flour 8 oz sultanas (seedless white raisins) 4 oz sugar 2 oz butter and 2 oz lard 2 oz chopped mixed peel Quarter pint milk Quarter ounce dried yeast A tablespoon of milk and sugar for the glaze

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Method: Sieve the flour and sugar into a bowl, add the yeast and mix well. Melt the butter and lard in a saucepan on a low heat. Remove as soon as it is melted. Warm the milk in another saucepan and then pour it into the melted fats. Create a hole in the middle of the flour, sugar and yeast and mix well into a smooth dough. Cover the bowl with a warm, damp towel (or plastic clingfilm) and leave in a warm location for 45 minutes. The dough will rise, doubling in size. Knead the dough (with flour on your hands to stop it sticking) for five minutes. Add the sultanas and mixed peel and knead well again for another five minutes. Place the dough in a loaf tin and cover with a plastic polythene bag (tied at the top) and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes to allow it to rise again. Remove the tin from the bag and bake in a preheated oven at 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4 for an hour. Mix the tablespoon of milk and sugar. Remove the cake tin from the oven and place on a heat-resistant surface. Brush the top with the milk and sugar, using a pastry brush. Return the cake tin to the oven (using oven gloves - it's still hot) and bake for another twenty minutes. Test with a skewer - if it is wet, continue baking for another ten minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing. Store in an airtight container.

Shepherd's Pie
In a land where sheep were a main food supply, it is not surprising that mutton and lamb form the basis of many Scottish dishes. Here is the traditional "Shepherd's Pie" - the variant based on beef is usually called "Cottage Pie".

Ingredients: Minced lamb - 450g (1 lb) Potatoes - 700g (1 lb) Large onion Mushrooms - 50g (2 oz) Bay leaf 2 Carrots Plain flour - 25g (1 oz) Tomato puree - 1 tbsp Butter - 25g (1 oz) Milk - 4 tbsp Lamb or beef stock - 300ml ( pint) Cheese - 50g (2 oz)

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Method: Dry fry the lamb with the chopped onion, bay leaf, sliced mushrooms and diced carrots for 8-10 minutes. Add the flour and stir for a minute. Slowly blend in the stock and tomato puree. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and boils. Cover and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Remove the bayleaf and place in a 1.7 litre (3 pint) ovenproof serving dish. At the same time, cook the potatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes until tender. Drain well, mash with the butter and milk and mix well. Spread on top of the mince mixture and sprinkle over with the grated cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F (Gas Mark 6). Serve hot with green vegetables

Shortbread
There are as many recipes for shortbread as sand on the seashore. While it is particularly associated with bringing in the New Year it is certainly popular in Scotland throughout the year.

Ingredients: 6oz Plain flour 4oz Soft butter 2oz caster (granulated) sugar 1 oz cornflour (cornstarch) Method: Mix the butter and sugar together (preferably with a wooden spoon) until it is pale and creamy. Sieve both the flour and the cornflour into the bowl and mix well. Put a small amount of flour on your working surface and place the dough on this. Shake a little flour on top and roll out about quarter inch thick. Prick with a fork and cut into rounds with a cutter or, if you want one large shortbread round, pinch the edges with thumb and finger all round. Use a palette knife to lift the shortbread onto an oiled baking tray and bake for 25 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 325F/170C/Gas Mark 3. If the biscuits are ready, they will be pale brown and crisp; if not, return to the oven for 5 or 10 minutes. Shake a small amount of caster/granulated sugar on the top of the shortbread immediately after they have been removed from the oven. Use a palette knife to move them to a cooling rack and store in an airtight tin once they are cold.

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Gluten Free Shortbread

Ingredients: Gluten-free Flour - 8 ounces (250g or 2 US cups) Gluten-free flour. (Glutafin Pastry works well as it has less raising agents). Butter (softened) 8 ounces (250g or 2 US sticks or 2 US cups). Cornflour - 4 ounces (125g or 1 US cup). Icing sugar (Powdered sugar in US) - 4 ounces (125g or 1 US cup). Caster sugar (fine granulated sugar) for dusting.

Method: Pre-heat the oven to 180C/355F (fan oven 160C/310F) or Gas Mark 4. Mix all the ingredients gently until the mixture comes together. Knead lightly, cover with cling film and refrigerate for an hour. Knead briefly after removing it from the fridge. Either roll into one great sausage-shaped roll, from which to cut disks about inch (1.2cm) thick, or roll flat to the same thickness and cut the biscuits out. Lay out on a non-stick baking mat or baking parchment and prick lightly with a fork. Allow some space between them for expansion. Bake until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before sprinkling with some caster sugar.

Lorne/Sliced Sausage
Here is a recipe for square sliced sausage - often called Lorne sausage.

Ingredients: 2 lbs Ground/minced Beef 2 lbs Ground Pork 3 Cups Fine Bread Crumbs 2 tsp Pepper 2 tsp Nutmeg 3 tsp Coriander 3 tsp Salt 1 Cup of water.

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Method: The beef and pork should not be too lean or the sausage may be too dry. Mix really well by hand then place in an oblong pan about 10" x 4" x 3". You might need two pans. Place in the freezer for a little while till it's just starting to set. Remove it and cut them to the thickness you like and put them into freezer bags and put them back in the freezer. When required, defrost and fry in a little fat or oil until brown and cooked through.

Smoked Haddock Parcels

Smoking haddock to preserve them has long been a tradition in Scotland. Here's a modern way to cook this tasty fish with prawns and spinach. Note that as in most other recipes in this site, the "half pint" measure is the British measure, hence the smaller quantities when converted. Ingredients: Four large smoked haddock fillets 8 ounces (250g) prawns 8 ounces (250g) spinach Half pint (10 fluid ounces or 300ml or one and a quarter cups (scant) 75ml (2.5 ounces or third of a US cup) dry white wine 2 ounces (50g) fresh chives 2 ounces (50g or half stick) butter Salt and pepper to taste Method: Haddock Parcels Roll a quarter of the prawns and spinach inside each smoked haddock and place in a buttered baking tray. Put a knob of butter on top and put in a pre-heated oven at 425F (220C or Gas Mark 7) for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Method: Sauce Put the cream and the wine into a small saucepan and simmer gently until it thickens. Add the chopped chives and seasoning and cook for a further minute. Place one haddock per person on a plate and pour over the sauce and garnish with chopped fresh chives, either alone as a starter or with fresh vegetables.

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Smoked Salmon Omelette with Watercress Cream

The quantities are sufficient for four omelettes - or halve the quantities for a starter course. Ingredients: 275 grams/8 ounces smoked salmon 8 medium size eggs 275ml/8 fluid ounces/one US cup fish stock 275ml/8 fluid ounces/one US cup white wine Half teaspoon salt Half teaspoon pepper 275ml/8 fluid ounces/one US cup double cream 4 tablespoon olive oil 1 bunch watercress, finely chopped Method: Whisk the eggs together, adding salt and pepper, and chill. To make the watercress sauce, put the white wine in a thick-bottomed pan and reduce buy half. Once reduced add fish stock and reduce by half again. Add double cream, bring to the boil slowly, add watercress and simmer for 10 minutes approximately. Remove sauce from heat and liquidise; pass through a sieve and return to a very low heat until ready for omelettes. Heat omelette pan and when very warm, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Swirl around and add enough omelette mix for one. Keep moving mix around with fork and when starting to cook, spread over bottom of pan and add a quarter of smoked salmon. Fold omelette over and place on plate. Cover with watercress sauce and serve. Repeat for each omelette.

Smoked Salmon Pat

You can, of course, buy pat in the supermarket or delicatessen, but if you make it yourself you can use fresh ingredients and make it to the texture you prefer. Ingredients: 4 ounces (125g or one stick) butter 8 ounces (250g) smoked salmon Quarter pint (5 fluid ounces or 150ml or half cup) double cream (whipping cream), lightly whipped 1 tablespoon lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Method: Heat the butter gently in a pan until melted. Leave for 5 minutes. Place the smoked salmon in a

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food processor. With the machine running, add the melted butter and mix until the salmon is smooth. Remove from the processor and place in a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and the lightly whipped cream and mix well. Place in a round dish and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Spicy Meat Loaf

The ingredients specified will create a meat loaf sufficient for 8 people.
Ingredients: 1.125 kg (2.5 lbs) specially selected Scotch beef, minced (ground) 1 tbsp olive oil for frying 1 finely chopped onion 2 cloves garlic chopped 1 red pepper, de-seeded, skin removed, chopped 1 tsp aromatic cumin 1 tsp mixed herbs Half cup tomato sauce (canned sauce or passatta) Half cup fresh breadcrumbs Half cup beef stock Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Put oil in pan and heat. Add onions, garlic and mixed herbs. Sweat over heat until onions are soft without browning. Transfer to large bowl and allow to cool. Add tomato sauce, breadcrumbs and beef stock to the cooked mixture. Stir together. Break up the ground beef and add to mixture. Season to taste and mix together gently. Pack this mixture into a 28 x 12 x 8 cm (11 x 5 x 3 inches) deep loaf tin and bake in a pre heated oven (gas mark 4, 180C/350F) for 50 - 60 minutes. Remove carefully from oven. Pour off any excess fat, let the loaf cool for about 10 minutes. Slice and serve with crisp green salad, spicy tomato salsa and crusty bread. Can also be served cold.

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St Fillan's Fruit Pudding

St Fillan's is a Perthshire village at the eastern end of Loch Earn. Here is a recipe which originated many years ago in the Scottish Women's Rural Institute. The quantities are sufficient for 4/6 people, depending on appetites! Ingredients: 4 oz (125g or one cup) flour 2 oz (50g or third of a cup) fine granulated sugar Half teaspoon baking soda Half teaspoon cream of tartar Pinch of salt 1.5oz (40g or less than half a stick) butter or margarine 2 eggs 2 tablespoons milk One pound stewed fruit (eg apples, pear, rhubarb, gooseberries or figs etc) Method: Mix together the dry ingredients and then rub in the butter. Mix (but don't beat) the white and yolk of the eggs, make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the eggs. Mix to a thick batter adding milk as required. Place the stewed fruit along with their juices in the foot of an oven-proof dish. Drop in the batter on top in spoonfuls. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 375F (190C or Gas Mark 5) for half an hour or until the paste has risen and turned golden and cooked through. Serve warm or cold.

Steak "Auld Reekie"

"Auld Reekie" was the name given to Edinburgh in the days when the city was often full of smoke and fog from all the open coal fires. This recipe has an added kick provided by the addition of some whisky. Note that when adding whisky to recipes it is best to use blended varieties - keep the single malts to drink on their own, either before or after the meal (or both!). The quantities given her will serve four. Ingredients: Four 8oz (250g) fillets of Aberdeen Angus steak. If not available, use the best you can find! 4 tablespoons Scotch whisky 13 fluid ounces (350g) double cream 4 oz (125g or one stick) grated smoked cheese

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1 oz (25g or stick) butter Salt and pepper to taste Method: Pan fry the steaks according to preference (rare, medium, well done, cremated etc) and keep warm. Pour whisky into a pan and flamb (take care when setting light to the whisky). Add cream and grated cheese and bring slowly to a simmering point. Continue to gently simmer, stirring from time to time, until the sauce has been reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper and mix in the butter for extra flavour. Pour sauce over the steaks and serve with a selection of fresh vegetables.

Steak Balmoral
The "Witchery" restaurant in Edinburgh is located in a building where the "Old Hell Fire Club" held their meetings. The restaurant serves Steak Balmoral, made with a whisky sauce. Here's the recipe. Ingredients: 4 Aberdeen Angus steaks. If you are only cooking for two, halve the quantities below for the sauce. 4 tablespoons Scotch whisky Half pint double cream Quarter pint beef stock 4 oz sliced mushrooms 1 teaspoon coarse grain mustard Salt and pepper to taste 1 oz butter Method: Pan fry the steaks and keep warm. Add the whisky to the pan and carefully set it alight. Add the cream, stock and mushrooms and bring to a boil. Simmer gently until the sauce has reduced by half, stirring from time to time.

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Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is a popular dessert in Scotland amongst people who have a sweet tooth and don't mind a few extra calories. Ingredients: 2 oz (60g or stick) soft margarine 1 oz (50g or generous one third stick) butter 7 oz (200g or one cup) white sugar 8 oz (250g or two cups) plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 1 egg whisked 6 oz (185g or 1 cups) stoned dates 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 2 oz (65g or one third cup) light brown sugar 2 tablespoons double cream pint (250ml) boiling water Method: Cream together the margarine and sugar. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Beat the whisked egg into a creamed mixture with a little of the flour and baking powder and continue beating for about a minute before adding the rest of the flour/baking powder. Chop the dates and flour lightly. Pour the boiling water over the dates and mix in the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda in US) and add the date mixture to the batter and mix well. Place in a buttered tin (or one lined with baking parchment) and bake for 40 minutes at 350F (175C or Gas Mark 4). When the pudding is cooked, heat the brown sugar, butter and cream and simmer gently for 3 minutes. Pour over the pudding and place under a grill until it starts to bubble. Then serve.

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Stovies
The French create the classic "Gratin Dauphinoise" by slicing potatoes thinly and cooking them slowly, which is the basis of the Scottish dish stovies. The name probably comes from the Scottish and north of England word for stewing. There are many variations on the versatile recipe for stovies but the basic ingredients are usually potato and onions and some form of meat with good fat content. The quantities below are sufficient for four people. Ingredients: 4 oz cold, diced lamb (two-thirds of a cup) 1 lb potatoes, peeled and sliced. Some people use alternate thin and thicker slices - the thin ones then turn to mush. 1 (or two if you prefer) large onion, very thinly sliced. 1 level tablespoon good quality dripping (from meat or bacon). If dripping is not available, cooking oil will do (though not as good a flavour). Stock or water Salt and pepper, nutmeg or all-spice for seasoning Chopped parsley or chives Method: Melt the dripping in a large pan (preferably with a tight fitting lid), add a layer of sliced potatoes, then a layer of onion and next a layer of meat. Add enough stock or water to cover (though some prefer their stovies dry, in which case add only 2-3 tablespoons). Then repeat the layers once again and season the dish thoroughly - in addition to salt and plenty pepper, add some nutmeg or all-spice). Cover and cook over a low to moderate heat (shaking the pan occasionally) for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the liquid is absorbed. Serve with a sprinkling of chopped parsley or chives (or chervil).

Strathbogie Mist
Here's a refreshing dessert based on pears and ginger wine. In Scotland, Crabbies Ginger Wine is considered to be the best. Ingredients: Medium tin of pears Half pint double cream (whipping cream) 5 tablespoons (75ml/3 fluid ounces) ginger wine Juice of half a lemon Grated rind of half a lemon 2oz/60g/quarter cup caster sugar (fine granulated sugar)

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Method: Lightly mash the pears and place in the foot of four individual dessert glasses. Mix together the sugar, lemon juice, lemon rind and ginger wine until all the sugar has dissolved. Mix with the double cream and whip lightly. Pile the cream on top of the pears and serve chilled.

Sultana Cake
Although they are known as sultanas in Scotland, these are really just seedless white raisins. This recipe makes a moist cake which keeps well in a tin. Ingredients: 8 ounces sultanas (seedless white raisins) 4 ounces butter or firm margarine (cut up into small pieces) 6 ounces sugar 6 ounces self raising flour (known also as all-purpose flour with baking powder) 2 small eggs (beaten) 2 ounces chopped nuts (optional) A few drops of almond essence Pinch of salt Method: Cover the sultanas in water and let them soak over-night. Bring the water and sultanas to the boil and then strain off the water. Mix in the butter or margarine while the sultanas are still hot. Mix in the sugar, beaten eggs and almond essence. Sift in the flour and salt and then add in the chopped nuts (if desired). Mix well. Grease an 8" round baking tin and line the bottom with greased, greaseproof paper (vegetable parchment or waxed paper). Pour in the cake mixture and smooth the top. Bake in a moderate oven at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2 until the centre is firm to the touch. Empty cake from the baking tin and store in an air-tight container.

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Summer Dessert
Here's a tasty recipe which uses up summer fruit when it is plentiful. The quantities below will make a dessert for 4-6 people (or double helpings for 2/3!). Note that you need to refrigerate overnight to get best results. Ingredients: Slices of medium or thin white bread with the all the crusts removed. Use a light, airy variety if possible. One pound (500g) fresh soft fruit (strawberries, raspberries, cherries, brambles). There are no fixed proportions but it works best if half of the fruit consists of strawberries. One fluid ounce (30ml) water 5 ounces (150g or US cup) caster (or fine granulated) sugar Method: Line the base and the sides of a 1 pint (900ml) pudding basin with a layer of bread. Wash and trim the fruit (removing any stones or stalks) and cut strawberries in half. Put the water and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil. Add the fruit with the softest (raspberries/brambles) last. Cook only briefly - the fruit should still retain its shape. Drain off the syrup and retain for later. Spoon the fruit into the bowl which has been lined with bread. Add a little of the retained syrup. Place more bread to cover the top of the bowl. Place a saucer on top and apply pressure (say, a pound weight). Keep the bowl and the juice in a refrigerator overnight. Loosen with a palette knife and turn out onto a large bowl. Pour the rest of the syrup over it. Cut into wedges and serve with lightly whipped double cream (whipping cream).

Tablet
Tablet is a traditional sweet confection which, if you like sugary things, is irresistible You can add some flavouring from essence/extract as well, if you wish.

Ingredients (for 4 pounds/1.8kg tablet): Butter or margarine - half pound (225g) Sweetened condensed milk - one pound (450g) Castor sugar - 4 pounds (1.8kg) Water - 1 pint (half litre)

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Method Using a non-stick pan, put the water on a low heat and melt in the butter. Add the sugar and bring to the boil. It is important to keep stirring all the time. Once it is boiling, stir in the condensed milk and simmer for 20 minutes. Again, keep stirring to avoid it sticking/burning. Take off the heat and beat vigorously for five minutes, adding the flavouring of your choice. Pour into a rectangular greased tin and once it is partly cooled, cut into bars (roughly 5 inches long by 1/2 inches wide). Once the tablet is cold, wrap the bars in waxed paper and store in an airtight jar or tin.

Tantallon Cakes
Named after the ruined castle of Tantallon in East Lothian, these are not cakes at all but a variation on shortbread. Traditionally, they were cut with a scalloped edged cutter. Ingredients: 4 oz flour 4 oz cornflour (cornstarch) or rice flour 4 oz butter 4 oz caster sugar (fine granulated sugar) Pinch of bicarbonate of soda Level teaspoon of grated lemon rind 2 eggs Icing sugar (frosting) for dusting Method: Cream the butter and sugar together until it is pale and creamy. Beat the eggs well. Add the sifted flour, bicarbonate of soda, lemon rind and the beaten eggs in small amounts to the butter and sugar and ensure that they are well combined each time. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and after shaking a little flour on top, roll out to about a half to a quarter inch thick. Cut into biscuit/cookie sized rounds with a scalloped pastry cutter (if you have one) . Place in a well greased/oiled baking tray and cook in a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for 20/25 minutes until light golden colour. Adjust the cooking time if you have a fan-assisted electric oven. Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar/frosting when cool. Store in an airtight container.

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Tayside Tang
A number of recipes in this series have had oranges as one of the ingredients. Oranges have been popular on Scottish recipes ever since Mrs Keiller made marmalade in Dundee in 1797. Here is a starter which will get any meal off with a zing. Main Ingredients: 2 oranges 4oz (100g) Scottish cheddar cheese, diced 1 grapefruit 4 slices of orange Dressing: 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 oz grated cheddar Salt and pepper Paprika Method: Remove the skin and pith (membrane) from the whole oranges and grapefruit and cut into bite size pieces and mix with the diced cheese. Make the dressing by combining the mayonnaise, grated cheese, lemon juice and seasoning to taste. Pour over the fruit and cheese. Place in individual dishes and sprinkle with paprika and add the slice of orange on top.

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Tian Of White Crab, Avocado and Langoustine Emulsion

The recipe (and illustration) for a Tian of White Crab. The ingredients below are sufficient for four people.

Ingredients:

For the Tian

6oz (170g) White Crabmeat 2 Avocados, Ripe, Peeled and Roughly Chopped 6 Langoustines (shell on). Peel and keep the shells and claws (discard head) 1 Chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Fresh Coriander, chopped Zest Coriander, chopped Zest of 1 Lemon Juice of 1 Lemon 2 oz (55g) Mascarpone

For the Emulsion

1 Onion, finely chopped 1 Clove Garlic, peeled Langoustine Shells and Claws 1 Carrot, finely chopped 1 Knob of Butter 2 Dashes of Tabasco 2 Dashes of Worcester Sauce 2 Tablespoons of Tomato Puree 1 Glass of White Wine 1 Pint (20 fluid ounces = 600ml = Two and a half cups) of Water 100ml (3.5 UK fluid ounces/0.4 US cups) Milk

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Method: Sweat off all the ingredients for the emulsion in a heavy based pan and add tomato puree. Cook on a high heat for 2 minutes to soak up all juices, then add wine and reduce. Add water, cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes and strain through a fine sieve. Add milk and reserve. In a bowl place crabmeat, coriander, zest of lemon, mascarpone and mix. Season. In another bowl, place avocado, chilli, juice of lemon and season. Ring both mixes and place one on top of the other and place on plate. Whisk up langoustine and milk with a hand blender till frothy and spoon around your Tian. Garnish with whole langoustine and sprinkle with chopped coriander.

Tiffin
Tiffin is an Indian and British term for a light meal eaten during the day. The word became popular in British India. In South India the term is generally used to mean an in-betweenmeals snack and it is customary to be offered a "Tiffin" as a courtesy when you visit a Tamil resident. In home baking, there are a number of "Tiffin" recipes, most using broken biscuits and chocolate as the main ingredients. So although the recipe below specifies specific ingredients and quantities feel free to experiment! Other less elegant names for Tiffin are "Chocolate Concrete" or even "Cement" though hopefully the picture here of Tiffin (and a scone and jam), doesn't look like concrete! Ingredients: 4 oz (or 125g or one stick) butter or margarine 1 tablespoon sugar (note that US tablespoons are 20% smaller than the UK so if you are in N America, use more for this and other tablespoon measures below) 2 tablespoons drinking chocolate 1 tablespoon golden syrup

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2 tablespoons raisins 8oz (250g) Rich Tea or plain or digestive biscuits (crackers/cookies in US) 6oz (170g) good quality milk chocolate Method: Melt the butter and sugar with the syrup in a large pan. Add the raisins and drinking chocolate and bring to the boil. Allow to bubble gently for two to three minutes to thicken a little. Crush the biscuits (crackers) with a rolling pin (putting them in a plastic bag beforehand cuts down on the mess). Don't leave the biscuit pieces too large, however, or the finished slab will tend to break up when cut. Mix the crumbs well into the melted mixture, coating thoroughly. Press into a lined 8 inch by 11 inch (28cm by 20cm) shallow Swiss roll tin and level out, pushing down the mixture well. Melt the chocolate carefully (avoiding getting it boiling) and spread over the top. Leave to set in a cool place then cut into 15 or 24 pieces with a sharp knife. You can cut it into squares or rectangles or (as in the picture above), into triangles.

Tipsy Cake
There are many variations on the theme of "Tipsy Cake" but the main ingredients are usually sherry (from which this dessert gets its name) and trifle sponges. You can use different jams (conserves) from the ones below. Ingredients: Half pint/10 fluid ounces (300ml or a scant one and quarter cups) sherry or madeira 8 trifle sponges, split into halves 2 ounces (115g or one good cup) caster (superfine) sugar 4 tablespoons (60ml) greengage jam (conserve) 4 tablespoons (60ml) apricot jam (conserve) sieved (strained) 4 tablespoons (60ml) raspberry jam (conserve) 3 egg whites 2 ounces (50g or cup) split blanched almonds 1 thinly sliced lemon pint (300ml or 1 cups) single (light) cream Squeeze of lemon juice Method: Slightly warm the sherry or Madeira and stir in 15ml/one tablespoon sugar and lemon juice. Place four of the trifle sponges halves in an ovenproof dish and pour some of the sherry/Madeira mixture over them so that they are soaked. Spread the greengage jam/conserve on top.

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Place four more sponge halves on top and soak with some more of the sherry/Madeira mixture. Spread the strained apricot jam/conserve mixture on top. Repeat with four more sponge halves, sherry and spread the raspberry jam/conserve. Add another layer of four more halves and soak with the remaining sherry/Madeira mixture. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff and then beat in the remaining sugar until it is thick and shiny. Spread the cream over the cake and ruffle into small peaks. Sprinkle with the blanched almonds. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 for about 20 minutes until the meringue top has set. Decorate the meringue with the lemon slices and serve with single/light cream.

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Toad-in-the-Hole
Toad-in-the-Hole used to be a very popular dish but seems to have fallen out of favour in recent years. Which is a shame, as it is a really tasty and substantial meal using link sausages and eggs. Ingredients: 1/2 pound (250g) pork link sausages 3 ounces (90g or 3/4 cup) flour 10 fluid ounces (300ml or One and a quarter cups) milk Two large eggs 4 ounces (125g or one stick or half cup) grated strong Cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Cooking oil Method: Preheat oven to 220C (425F or Gas Mark 7). Using a 9-inch ovenproof skillet (or a deep-dish pie pan), heat the cooking oil. Add the sausages, rolling them in the oil and brown on all sides in oven (for about 20 minutes) or on top of stove, turning every 5 minutes. Sift flour and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl and stir in the grated cheese. In a smaller bowl, beat milk, eggs, and parsley, and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir a small amount of milk mixture into the flour to make a smooth, very heavy batter and let stand 5 minutes before stirring in remaining milk mixture. There are different ways of arranging the sausages in the deep-dish pie pan. Some people cut up the sausages and arrange them at random. Others arrange the sausages like spokes of a wheel evenly spaced in pan. Whatever method is used, pour the batter over them. Lower oven heat to 200C (400 degrees or Gas Mark 6) and bake until batter is puffed and browned (about 30 minutes).

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Toasted Cheese
More usually associated with the Welsh than the Scots, Toasted Cheese is also called Welsh Rarebit. Before the days of grills and modern cookers, the cheese was melted in front of the fire and bread was toasted on both sides with butter spread on one side and the melted cheese poured on top. Sometimes beer, pepper and salt were mixed with the cheese. In 1747 a cookery book gave a recipe for "Scots Rabbit" or Rare Bit as bread toasted on both sides and a slice of cheese, the same size as the bread, also toasted on both sides and laid on the buttered bread. The same book had "Welsh Rabbit" made in the same way but with mustard rubbed on the cheese. "English Rabbit" on the other hand had a glass of red wine poured over the toast before the cheese was added. Take your pick!

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Toffee Apples
While the sugar, syrup and butter will certainly not help a politically correct calorie controlled diet, at least the fruit is healthy! Ingredients: 2 pounds (1 kilo or 5 cups) demerara (light brown) sugar Nut of butter 1 small teaspoon vinegar 1 desertspoon golden syrup (or light corn syrup) Half cup water Sticks for holding the toffee apples (ice lolly sticks do at a pinch) Method: Stir together the sugar, vinegar, syrup and water and heat until boiling, stirring continuously. Continue on a slow boil for 5/7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Insert the stick into the core of each apple and dip the apples into the mixture. Place on a greased tray, with the sticks in the air, until dry.

Treacle Scones
Treacle is known as molasses in some parts of the world and it features in a number of Scottish recipes. Ingredients: 8 oz self-raising flour (all-purpose flour with baking powder in USA) 2 oz butter 1 oz caster sugar (fine granulated sugar) Half a teaspoon of cinnamon 2 tablespoons black treacle (molasses) or golden syrup (light corn syrup) Pinch of salt Approximately quarter pint of milk Method: Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter. Mix in the sugar, cinnamon, treacle or syrup and enough milk to make a soft dough. Knead this on a floured surface until it is both moist and elastic. Cut into rounds with a 2.5 inch pastry cutter. Grease a baking sheet (cookie sheet) and place the rounds on this. Brush with a little milk and bake for 10/15 minutes in an oven, pre-heated to 425F/220C/Gas Mark 7 until golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack and serve split in half with butter.

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Treacle Toffee
Treacle is known as molasses is some parts of the world. Treacle toffee used to be a children's treat - which many adults also enjoyed! Ingredients: 1 pound (500g or Two and a half cups ) castor (super fine) sugar pound (125g or one stick) butter 1 dessert spoon treacle (molasses) 3 dessert spoons golden syrup (alternatively, light corn syrup) 1 teaspoon vanilla Large tin condensed milk 5 or 6 dessert spoons water Method: Place the butter, sugar, treacle, syrup and water into a pan and heat, stirring constantly. Once all the ingredients are well mixed and melted, add the condensed milk slowly, stirring occasionally until it boils. Continue on a slow boil for 15-20 minutes, again stirring occasionally. Test that the toffee is ready by dropping a spoonful into cold water - if it turns solid, it is ready. Pour into a tray, mark out cut into pieces. Wrap in greaseproof paper (vegetable parchment or waxed paper). Store in an air-tight container.

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Trout in Oatmeal with Parsley Butter

In bygone days trout from the rivers could be there for the taking. Just as coating herring from the sea in oatmeal was common, trout could be treated in the same way. The parsley butter is a more modern addition. Ingredients: 2 large trout, skinned Small quantity of milk Quarter cup of fine oatmeal Quarter cup cooking oil Parsley Butter Ingredients: 2/3 ounces (60g) of butter 3 teaspoons lemon juice 1 spring onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped Quarter teaspoon cracked black peppercorns Method: Cut each skinned fillet of trout into four equal size pieces. Brush each portion with milk and coat with the oatmeal. Place the trout on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for twenty minutes. Warm the butter slightly to soften it and mash with a fork. Add the lemon juice, peppercorns and chopped spring onions and mix well. Add the parsley and mix again. Form into a log shape and cut into rounds. Add the trout to some heated oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook each side for two minutes or until the oatmeal has become golden. Serve with the parsley butter.

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Tweed Kettle
This is sometimes called Salmon Hash and was popular in Edinburgh in the 19th century.

Ingredients: 2lbs fresh salmon, preferably from the tail end 2 chopped shallots or 1 tablespoon of chopped chives Salt, pepper, pinch of ground mace Quarter pint water Quarter pint (150ml) dry white wine 4 Ounces chopped mushrooms 1 tablespoon chopped parsley Method: Put the fish in a pan, just covered with water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for five minutes. Remove fish from the pan (keep the stock), remove skin and bone and cut the fish into 2 inch squares. Season with salt, pepper and mace and put into a clean dish with a quarter pint of the fish stock plus the wine and finely chopped shallot or chives. Cover the dish and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Heat up the butter and soften the mushrooms in it, drain and add to the salmon and heat together for another five minutes. Serve with chopped parsley.

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Venison Stew in Red Wine

Venison is becoming increasingly popular in Scotland as the large herds of farmed deer in the Highlands bring down the cost of their meat. Venison is also lower in calories, cholesterol and fat than most cuts of beef, pork, or lamb. Here's a tasty recipe for making venison stew, marinated in red wine. Ingredients: 2 pounds (1 kilo 4 cups US ) stewing venison, cut into 1" cubes 2 Bay leaves One large chopped onion. 1 ounce (25g / quarter cup US ) flour 1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly Half pint (quarter litre / 1 cup US ) cheap red wine 1 ounce (30g / quarter stick ) butter 6 ounces (170g / 1.5 cups US ) button mushrooms, sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper Method: Place the chopped venison in a bowl with the red wine and bay leaves, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 48 hours. Strain the red wine and reserve, discarding the bay leaves. Gently saut the chopped onion in the oil and butter for ten minutes. Then stir in the flour and continue to cook for about a further one minute. Slowly blend in the wine and stock, bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Stir in the venison, redcurrant jelly and seasoning. Cover and boil for another 5 minutes. Reduce heat and then simmer in a slow oven (gas mark 2, 300F, 150C) for about four hours or until tender. Add the mushrooms for the last 30 minutes or so. Serve with mashed or new boiled potatoes and green vegetables.

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Viennese Whirls
Viennese Whirls are melt in the mouth biscuits (cookies) which are mass produced for sale in bakers and supermarkets in Scotland (and elsewhere in the world). But there is nothing to beat some which have been freshly baked in your own kitchen. Ingredients: 3 ounces (75g or stick) butter 1 ounce (25g) icing sugar (frosting) 3 ounces (75g or cup) plain flour Few drops vanilla essence Strawberry jam (for filling) Pinch of salt Method: Cream the butter and sugar and vanilla essence together until it is light and fluffy. Sieve (sift) flour and salt and then add to the butter and sugar mixture gradually. Beat well after each addition until the mixture is smooth. Using a one inch (2.5cm) star pipe, pipe stars of approximately 1 inch (3cm) diameter and no more than 1/8th inch (6mm) high onto a baking/cookie sheet on a baking tray. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the middle shelf of a preheated oven at 375F (190C or Gas Mark 5). Spread a small amount of strawberry jam between the flat sides of two "whirls" to make them stick together. Dust with icing sugar (frosting). As an alternative to dusting with icing sugar (frosting), you can dip about a third of each Viennese Whirls (with jam between them) in chocolate which has been melted slowly in a bowl heated in hot water.

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Whisky and Chocolate Crunch

What a deadly combination - whisky and chocolate! Who could resist? In the ingredients, chocolate digestive biscuits are known as Chocolate Graham Crackers in North America. Ingredients: 6 oz chocolate digestive biscuits (Graham Crackers) 1 pint whipped cream 3 tablespoons whisky (vary to suit your taste) 1 oz caster sugar (granulated sugar) 2 egg whites 2 drops vanilla essence (extract) 1 oz toasted split almonds Grated chocolate for decoration Method Finely crush the chocolate digestive biscuits and spread equally in the bottom of six sundae dishes. Whip together the cream, whisky, sugar and vanilla until stiff. Separately, whip the egg whites until they are also stiff and then fold into the cream mixture. Spoon equal quantities into the dishes over the biscuits. Chill and finally decorate with the toasted almonds and grated chocolate.

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Whisky and Apple Jelly

Here is another recipe which uses one of Scotland's favourite ingredients - whisky - combined with apples to make a delicious tasting jelly. Ingredients: Six pounds of cooking apples Granulated sugar (quantity depends on amount of juice extracted) Water Whisky (quantity depends on personal taste) Method After washing the apples and removing any over-ripe brown elements, quarter them and just cover in a large preserving pan. Boil the apples until they are soft (but not pulpy). Scald a jelly bag (layers of cheesecloth), suspend it over a bowl and pour in the fruit and liquid. Allow to drip overnight. Don't be tempted to squeeze the bag as this will produce a cloudy jelly.

Allow one pound of sugar for every pint of juice (2 cups of sugar for every 2 cups of liquid). Put both the juice into a pan and stir in the sugar over a moderate heat until all the sugar dissolves. Then, stirring continuously, bring to the boil, and boil rapidly for about ten minutes. Remove any scum which forms. You can check to see if the jelly will set by dropping a little on a cold plate. Once the setting point has been reached, remove from the heat and allow it to rest/cool for a few minutes. Add about a tablespoon of blended whisky (vary the amount according to taste). Then pour the jelly into warm, clean jars, cover, label and store. It is best not to use the jelly for at least three months.

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Whisky-Mac Prawns
Whisky with green ginger is known as "Whisky-Mac" (see the cocktail recipes) and the same ingredients can add an extra sparkle to prawn cocktail! Ingredients: 2 fluid ounces of blended Scotch whisky 2 fluid ounces green ginger wine 1 tablespoon of honey A 1-inch square of peeled fresh ginger, chopped finely 2 ripe avocados 8 ounces prawns Lettuce leaves, lemon slices and possibly a whole prawn, for garnish. Method: Mix the whisky, green ginger wine, honey, chopped ginger. Peel the avocados and remove the stone. Chop the avocados into bite-size pieces, place in a dish and soak them and the prawns in the whisky mixture for half-an-hour. Place lettuce leaves in six dishes and add the prawn mixture. Finish with a slice of lemon and a whole prawn (if you have one).

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Whisky Toddy
Just what you need when suffering from a cold or the flu! As Burns said: "Sit roun' the table weel content An' steer about the toddy."

Ingredients Well Matured Scotch Whisky - 50 ml (2 fl oz) Boiling water Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon Cube sugar (four pieces) Method: Half-fill a tumbler with hot water. When the glass has reached a comfortable temperature, pour it out and put 3/4 pieces of cube sugar in the glass. Pour in a wineglass of boiling water and stir (silver spoons are recommended!). When the sugar is dissolved, add a wineglass of whisky and stir. Sip with "tender loving care" If one doesn't work - try another!

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Whisky Punch
Here is a recipe which will get any party going with a swing! The Punch can be made either hot or cold. Ingredients for Hot Punch: 2 pints of freshly made, hot, milkless tea 1 pound of lump/cube sugar 1 bottle of whisky One thinly sliced lemon Method for Hot Punch Heat but do not boil the whisky. Pour the hot tea over the sugar and lemon and stir with a silver spoon until all the sugar has dissolved. Add the hot (but not boiling) whisky. Flame and serve. Ingredients for Cold Punch: 2 pints boiling water Half a pound of lump/cube sugar 1 bottle of whisky 3 lemons A few leaves of mint Method for Cold Punch: Use a sharp knife to remove the yellow rind (not the white pith) from the lemons before squeezing out the juice. Place the peel, juice, mint and sugar in a large jug and add the boiling water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. When it is cold, remove the lemon peel and mint and add the whisky. Chill before use. Add some thinly sliced soft fruit before serving from a punch bowl.

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White Wine Sauce

Here is a recipe for a sauce which is useful for pouring over many varieties of puddings and pancakes. It was originally recorded by a Lady Clark, around 1880. The quantities are sufficient for four people. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons flour or cornflour (cornstarch) Half pint (300 ml or one and a quarter cups, scant) sweet white wine 1 oz (25g or quarter stick) butter 2 tablespoons brown sugar Grated peel of one lemon Method: Mix the flour and wine thoroughly and then heat to boiling point, stirring well until it is thick and smooth. Simmer gently for five minutes, stirring from time to time. Chop the butter into small pieces and add to the sauce and then add the sugar and finely grated lemon peel and stir until the butter and sugar have all dissolved. Pour the hot sauce over your pudding or pancakes.

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Wholemeal Scones
This recipe originated a long time ago in the Scottish Women's Rural Institutes. They are best served hot, spread with butter. Ingredients: 6 ounces (175g or 1 US cups) wholemeal flour 6 ounces (175g or 1 US cups) white flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 ounces (60g or half stick) butter or margarine 2 teaspoons of syrup, warmed Approximately quarter pint (5 fluid ounces or 150ml or generous US half cup) milk Pinch of salt Method: Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and then rub in the fat until it becomes like coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the melted syrup and then add enough milk to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll until quite thin. Using a cutter, cut into rounds of about 1 inches (3.8cm) in diameter. Place the rounds on a floured baking sheet and cook in a pre-heated oven at 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5 for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot, spread with butter.

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US/UK Cooking Terms

In the collection of recipes gathered together, the equivalent US expression for a number of UK/Scottish words are often given, side by side. These, plus a number of others which you may come across in menus based on UK sources, are listed below, for reference. Measurements are shown first, Ingredients are further down the page, followed by cooking utensils and methods.

Measurements (British, metric and US) 1 ounce flour = 25g = quarter cup 4 ounces flour = 125g = One cup 8 ounces flour = 250g = Two cups 2 ounces breadcrumbs (fresh) = 60g = One cup 4 ounces breadcrumbs (dry) = 125g = One cup 4 ounces oatmeal = 125g = One cup (scant) 5 ounces currants = 150g = One cup 4 ounces shredded suet = 125g = One cup (scant) 4 ounces butter and other fats, including cheese = 125g = One stick 8 ounces butter and other fats, including grated cheese = 250g = One cup 7 ounces caster/granulated sugar = 200g = One cup 8 ounces caster/granulated sugar = 250g = One and a quarter cups 8 ounces meat (chopped/minced/ground) = 250g = One cup 8 ounces cooked, mashed potatoes = 250g = One cup One ounce (1oz) = One rounded tablespoon One tablespoon of liquid = 3 teaspoons One teaspoon liquid = 5ml One British teaspoon is the same as an American teaspoon One British tablespoon liquid = 17.7ml One US tablespoon liquid =14.2ml 8 tablespoons = 4 fluid ounces = 125ml = Half cup 8 fluid ounces = 250ml = One cup (Half a US pint) Half pint/10 fluid ounces = 300ml = One and a quarter cups (scant) Three quarters of a pint/15 fluid ounces = 450 ml =Two cups (scant) or one US pint One British pint/20 fluid ounces = 600ml = Two and a half cups Ingredients Bacon rashers = Bacon slices Bannock = Flat round cake Bicarbonate of soda = Baking soda Biscuits = Crackers/cookies Boiling fowl = Stewing fowl Broad beans = Lima beans

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Cake mixture = Cake batter Castor sugar = Granulated sugar Celery stick = Celery stalk Chipolata sausages = Cocktail sausages Cornflour = Cornstarch Chips = French fried potatoes Creamed potatoes = Mashed potatoes Crisps = Potato chips Demerara sugar = Light brown sugar Dessicated coconut = Flaked coconut Digestive biscuits = Graham crackers Double cream = Whipping cream Essence = Extract Farls = Quarters Fats = Shortening Flaked almonds = Slivered almonds Frosting sugar = Powdered sugar Glac = Candied Golden syrup = Light corn syrup Hough = Shank of beef Icing = Frosting Jam = Preserves Mince/minced beef = Ground beef Mixed spices = Allspice Nut of butter = Pat of butter Pinhead oatmeal = Irish oatmeal Rasher = Slice Ratafia biscuits = Almond flavoured cookies/dried macaroons Roast Potatoes = Oven browned potatoes Salt beef = Corned beef brisket Scone = Shortcake, biscuit Self raising flour = All-purpose flour with baking powder Single cream = Light cream Soft brown sugar = Light brown sugar Spring onion = Scallion/green onion Stewing steak = Braising beef Stoned raisins = Seedless raisins Strong plain flour = Unbleached white flour Sultanas = Seedless white raisins Treacle = Molasses Unsalted butter = Sweet butter Wholemeal = Wholewheat

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Utensils and Methods Ashet = Meat dish Baking sheet or tray = Cookie sheet Case = pie shell Fry = Pan Fry (with fat) Frying pan = Skillet Girdle = Griddle Grate = Shred Greaseproof paper = Vegetable parchment or waxed paper Grill = Broil Gut = Clean Jelly bag = Layers of cheesecloth Knead = Punch down Knock Back = Punch down Large pot = Dutch oven or a deep cooking utensil with a tight fitting lid Liquidizer = Electric blender Mince = Grind Polythene = Plastic wrap Prove = Rise Pudding cloth = Cheesecloth Roasting tin = Roasting pan with rack Sandwich tins = Round-layer pans Sieve = Sift Stewpan or pan = Kettle Tartlet tin = Muffin pan Vegetable mill = Food mill Whisk = Beat/whip Oven Temperatures Gas Mark 1 = 275F = 140C Gas Mark 2 = 300F = 150C Gas Mark 3 = 325F = 170C Gas Mark 4 = 355F = 180C Gas Mark 5 = 375F = 190C Gas Mark 6 = 400F = 200C Gas Mark 7 = 425F = 220C Gas Mark 8 = 455F = 230C

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