Pure dead brilliant.
Or at least that’s what I hear they say over in the Highlands. I always feel my Scottish roots more strongly while watching Outlander. Kind of like everyone feeling their Irish roots more strongly on St. Patty’s Day. Must be something about the gorgeous Scottish Highlands, the political intrigue of the Jacobite uprising, and . . . um . . . Jaime looking all rugged in his kilt and rocking the insanely hot scottish accent. Yea. Definitely how gorgeous those Scottish Highlands are.
From the time I was little, I remember my Uncle Steve, cousins, and my little brother donning their kilts for a family wedding. (I was thrilled when my Uncle Steve donned it once again for my own wedding.) Shortbread was a Christmas-time staple, I’ve worn the Celtic knot necklace my mother gave me since I was a teenager, and I know every verse for “The Scotsman.” (Spoiler: That is not actually a Scottish song.) Aka… my family is proud of our Scottish heritage, but I am not an authentic Scot.
Cranachan – aka Whiskey, Honey’d Cream with Raspberries & Toasted Oats
This cranachan recipe, however? Out of the Mackay clan vaults, which I was ecstatic to see, has some traditional Scottish desserts. The cranachan recipe below has one twist on the original–the mascarpone. When I was researching the origins of cranachan, I read that the recipe was originally made with crowdie–a type of farmstead cheese.
The Mackay recipe had replaced this entirely with whipped cream. (Though I imagine the cream used back then was much closer to a double cream than the heavy cream we have state-side.) Because crowdie would have had a thicker, richer element to it, I decided to mix a little bit of mascarpone into my cranachan.
David and I tried both straight-up whipped cream and the recipe you see below. We found the addition of mascarpone to be far superior. The cream is weighed down a bit and has more substance. And somehow, the mascarpone enhances the whiskey flavor without the need to add any more whiskey.
Never fear, non-drinkers! If you’re not a whiskey fan or you’re feeding dessert to the kidlets, just swap the whiskey for some vanilla extract. Still fantastic.
Slainte!
mikaela | wyldflour
4 small parfait glasses or two large drinking glasses
20 minPrep Time
20 minTotal Time
Save Recipe5 based on 1 review(s)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup steel cut oats
- 6 oz raspberries (about 1 heaping cup)
- 4-6 oz additional raspberries for layering
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons scotch whiskey (may sub 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 4 oz mascarpone cheese (about 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- First, place a large mixing bowl and the mixing beaters into the freezer to chill. (This will help you whip up the cream later.)
- Measure steel cut oats into a pan and heat on the stove top over medium-high heat. Toast the oats, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned and giving off a nutty smell. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, use a fork to roughly mash 6 oz of raspberries. (It's okay if there are still a few chunks.) Set aside.
- Pull the mixing bowl and beaters out of the freezer and measure the cream into the chilled bowl. Use a mixer to beat the cream at high speed until whipped. This can take a while--you'll start to see ripples in the cream that hold their shape. Keep going until the cream actually whips away from itself in the bowl.
- Drizzle honey over the whipped cream and whip on high speed to combine. Mix in whiskey. Mix mascarpone cheese into the whipped cream on low speed until combined.
- Spoon out half of the raspberry mash into either four small glasses or two large glasses to create the first layer of the dessert. Drop a small handful of additional raspberries into the mash. Spoon out half of the whipped cream/mascarpone mixture over the raspberries to create the next layer. Top the whipped cream with a layer of toasted oats, using a little more than half of the oats. Repeat the layer technique--layer raspberry mash, raspberries, whipped cream, and toasted oats. Garnish with a few extra raspberries and serve immediately!
Notes
Don't be tempted to skip toasting the oats! It not only enhances the flavor, but also softens the oats so they aren't too crunchy!
Not into whiskey or serving it to the kids? Swap the whiskey for a half teaspoon of pure vanilla extract!
Calories
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Carbs
Protein
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