Tablet (taiblet in Scots[1][2][3]) is a medium-hard, sugary confection from Scotland. Tablet is usually made from sugar, condensed milk, and butter, which is boiled to a soft-ball stage and allowed to crystallise. It is often flavoured with vanilla and sometimes has nut pieces in it.[2][4]
 | |
| Type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Scotland |
| Main ingredients | Butter, sugar, condensed milk |
Tablet differs from fudge in that it has a brittle, grainy texture, where fudge is much softer. Well-made tablet is a medium-hard confection, not as soft as fudge, but not as hard as hard candy.
Commercially available tablet often uses fondant instead of the milk products. This produces a slightly less granular texture compared to the traditional home-made tablet, and is supposedly easier to prepare on a commercial scale.[citation needed]
History
editAccording to The Scots Kitchen by F. Marian McNeill, tablet is noted in The Household Book of Lady Grisell Baillie in the early 18th century.[5] The traditional recipe uses just sugar and cream. More modern recipes substitute condensed milk and butter for the cream, as cream has a tendency to burn when boiled.
Names
editTablet is sometimes referred to as Swiss Milk tablet (Swiss Milk being a term used by some for condensed milk)[6][7][8] or butter tablet.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Rennie, Susan (ed.). "Dictionary of the Scots Language (DSL)". Retrieved 27 May 2009.
- ^ a b Bell, John Joy (1903). Wee Macgreegor. pp. 8–9. ISBN 9780559576188.
- ^ "Full text of "The household book of Lady Grisell Baillie, 1692-1733"". Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- ^ "Scottish Tablet Company". Retrieved 12 March 2011.
- ^ McNeill, F. Marian (1963). The Scots Kitchen (second ed.). London and Edinburgh: Morrison and Gibb Limited. p. 244.
- ^ S.W.R.I. (1977). S.W.R.I. Jubilee Cookery Book. Edinburgh: Scottish Women's Rural Institutes; Reprint of 8th Edition (1968), p180
- ^ "Swiss Milk Tablet 1935". Bygone Dundee. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ "Tablet | VisitScotland Food and Drink". Eatscotland.visitscotland.com. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
External links
edit
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