Scottish Tablet

"Tablet (taiblet in Scots), butter tablet, butter fudge, cream tablet or Swiss Milk tablet (derived from a condensed milk brand name) is a medium-hard, sugary confection from Scotland. A variation including golden syrup is known as Russian fudge. Tablet is usually made from sugar, condensed milk, and butter, boiled to a soft-ball stage and allowed to crystallize. It is often flavoured with vanilla, and sometimes has nut pieces in it.

Tablet has a long history. According to The Scots Kitchen by F. Marian McNeill, tablet is first noted in The Household Book of Lady Grisell Baillie in the early 18th century. The traditional recipe uses just sugar and cream. More modern recipes substitute condensed milk and butter for the cream, as it has a tendency to burn when boiled.

Tablet differs from fudge in that it has a brittle, grainy texture, where fudge is much softer."

Scottish Tablet
Recipe from http://spinningsugar.wordpress.com/

The Scots have a sweet tooth, for certain. Tablet is their traditional version of Fudge and preceded our own traditionally chocolate version by a few centuries… Definitely creamy, smooth and toothsome and recommended highly to accompany any other fudges you make be making. A lovely contrast. Here is my great-grandmother’s treasured recipe modernized for the US and today’s cooking methods:

1 ¼ cup Whole Milk
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons dark, “bottom of the pot” (very strong) coffee or espresso

In a heavy 4-quart pan over low heat, bring the milk slowly to a boil stirring often to prevent scorching.  Add the sugar and butter and stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture returns to a boil. Clip on your calibrated candy thermometer, raise the heat to medium and bring to a full boil.

Continue to boil steadily, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until the temperature reaches 240 °F.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the strong coffee and leave the fudge undisturbed until it has cooled to 110 °F.

While the fudge cools, prepare the pan and utensils. Line an 9-inch square pan (at least 1-1/2 inches deep) with a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan to use as “handles” for removing the fudge later. Lightly butter the foil.

Once the tablet has cooled, begin to fold and stir the tablet with a large wooden spoon until it just begins to lose its gloss and is thick. (This will probably will take 15-20 minutes, so feel free to take a few-seconds’ break every now and then.) When the tablet is nearing the point where it is ready to pour into the pan, you will notice a loss in gloss, it will stiffen slightly and will begin to “snap” with every stroke of the spoon/spatula. When it does…

Transfer to the prepared 8” pan and spread evenly across the top.   Allow the tablet to rest for 4 hours and come to room temperature.

When completely cooled, remove the tablet from the pan by lifting the foil and pull the foil from the tablet sides. Use a sharp knife and cut the fudge into 1-inch squares, frequently cleaning the knife in hot water and drying completely.

Store between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two weeks or freeze for longer storage.  Always bring to room temperature before serving.