Scottish tablet
Makes: 60 squares
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
Scottish tablet
A recipe for super-sweet Scottish tablet was first recorded in the early 1700s by Lady Baillie (Mrs Beeton’s equivalent). It has a denser and grainier texture than creamy English fudge
Makes: 60 squares
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (Per square)
Calories
97Kcal
Fat
2gr
Saturates
1gr
Carbs
19gr
Sugars
19gr
Fibre
0gr
Protein
1gr
Salt
0gr
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Ingredients
- 900g caster sugar
- 250ml whole milk
- 110g unsalted butter, diced
- 1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk
Step by step
Get ahead
The tablet keeps for at least 2 months in an airtight container
- Put the sugar and milk in a very large pan, over a medium-low heat. Stirring occasionally, heat until all of the sugar has dissolved (don't let it boil at this stage). Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tin or dish with baking paper.
- Once all the sugar has dissolved, add the butter and continue to heat until it has melted into the sweet milk.
- Now add the condensed milk and mix well. Increase the heat and stir continuously while the mixture boils (try not to let it catch and burn, or you will get brown flecks in your tablet). Take care, as it is very hot and bubbles volcanically, which is why you need a large pan to stop it from boiling over. Using a cook’s thermometer, take it to 120°C (soft-ball stage). It will get slightly thicker, and also start to turn a fudgy colour.
- Once it’s reached 120°C, remove from the heat and leave to settle for a few minutes. Now, either by hand, or in a stand mixer, beat the mixture until it starts to thicken and set – it will begin to look thick and slightly grainy. If you like, at this point you can add a pinch of salt or some flavouring such as vanilla, or whisky, although it’s not so traditional.
- Pour into the lined tin and smooth out evenly, pushing it into the corners. Leave to set for 30 minutes, then mark into squares with a sharp knife. Leave to set for at least a couple of hours, but ideally overnight. If you prefer, rather than marking it into squares, you can just leave the tablet to set then break it up, for a more rustic look. Store in an airtight container.
