#cranachan

Fooduary 2026: Cranachan

A Scottish delight of cream, layered with raspberries and Scottish oats and whisky. It evolved from an older dessert: crowdie (where crowdie cheese is combined with lightly toasted oatmeal, cream, local honey, and raspberries, when in season) and sounds delicious!

I had a lot of fun drawing this Scottish lass, and tried to use the colors of the Cranachan for the dessert reference. The intention with the flannel pattern was to reference raspberries!

Please tag #ol6rewatch2023 and share if you make this or another recipe!

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Recipe #119 - Cranachan 

I hand whipped the cream because I don’t own a mixer...my arm is still on fire. 

I’m really pleased with how this one came out! Also pleased with the fact that I was able to reuse some things from past recipes. I used the cups and spoons from my chocolate mayhem recipe to help with assembly, the oats from my scotch pies and the brandy from my black bun recipe. Always nice when that works out. 

This recipe called for “folding” the toasted oats into the cream and I couldn’t stop thinking about that scene from Schitt’s Creek where they argue about what folding means. You wouldn’t know it from looking at it but every layer of this thing has booze. Both the raspberry layers and the cream layers have brandy in them. I don’t drink because I don’t like the taste of alcohol, but I feel it was subtle enough here to work for me. I’m sure you could make this alcohol free as well, but it would be pretty plain if you did. The toasted oats were probably the most “traditional” part of this dish and I feel like they were the surprise MVP. They helped hold the layers together and gave a nice little crunch to each bite. 

Recipe:

Here is my source 

-1 1/3 cups oats

-1/3 cup whisky (I used brandy instead)

-2 cups of fresh raspberries

-3 Tbsp whisky

-3 Tbsp honey

-2 tsp sugar

I may not be a Scot, but I will celebrate any country’s national feast if it’s a chance for good food, music and merriment! Thus on Burns Night, I pour myself a glass of good Scotch Whisky, read The Bard of Ayrshire’s poetry, listen to his songs, and cook a warming Scot feast -though I have yet to try haggis, I reckon I shall when I am in Scotland! Even better, is to have a lovely lassie over, to share Cranachan with. That, I know, Rabbie would approve! Have a good one!

Ingredients (serves 2):

1 cup fresh raspberries, rinsed

2 tablespoons Elderflower Sugar (or plain caster sugar)

2 heaped tablespoons whole rolled oats

1 tablespoon fragrant pure honey (like heather)

1/2 cup double cream

1 heaped tablespoon fragrant pure honey (like heather)

1 1/2 tablespoon good single malt Scotch Whisky (like The Glen Grant Arboralis)

Save a few whole raspberries. In a small bowl, mash the rest of the fresh raspberries with a fork until you have a chunky purée. Stir in Elderflower Sugar until completely dissolved. Set aside.

Toast whole rolled oats in a dry frying pan until they start colouring and smell nutty. Remove from the heat, and divide toasted oats between two small bowls. Stir heather honey into the oats in one of the bowls, keep the other plain. Set aside.

Pour double cream in a medium bowl, and whisk energetically until soft peaks form. Whisk in the honey, and continue whisking, gradually adding the Whisky. You want the cream to just hold, and remain soft. Gently fold in plain toasted oats. 

Spoon a tablespoonful Elderflower raspberry purée at the bottom of each of two glasses. Top with Whisky and honey oat whipped cream, and a few fresh raspberries. Repeat. Finish with a drizzle of the purée, a couple of fresh raspberries, and honey toasted oats. 

Chill slightly before serving.