Edinburgh Evening News 3 - Cranachan Mess

This weeks recipe for my Edinburgh Evening News column is Cranachan Mess. A similar dessert to Eton Mess, this is perfect for special occassions.

My recipes are printed each and every Friday in the Evening News, so keep an eye out for them. I am also asking readers to send me their recreations of my dishes, and have had some great efforts so far.

Cranachan is a Scottish dessert which was originally made with crowdie cheese, oats, whisky, honey and fresh raspberries.

More modern recipes have swapped the crowdie cheese for a simple whipped cream, although the recipe itself has remained much the same. Traditionally, the oats are toasted then soaked in whisky overnight, so I wouldn’t recommend having too much of this for lunch!

Some recipes involve serving the ingredients separately so that each person can alter the quantities to their taste, although I prefer serving it as Cranachan Mess with the addition of the meringue for texture. It is slightly similar to Eton Mess but made with Scottish raspberries and a good glug of whisky. Eton Mess was originally seen as a summer dish using in-season strawberries when they are at their best, but I think it should be enjoyed all year round!

Just swap out the fruit with whatever is in season at the time, so other suggestions might include rhubarb or even stewed plums with a little brown sugar. I find the Cranachan Mess is best served in a tall dessert glass, but you could also use a large wine glass or whatever you like really. There are a few different variations of the dish, but here is my favourite.

Find the full recipe here.