So nothing to do with canny Scots having a punch up over a Boxing Day sale.

Scottish Farm Servants

Into boxes and barrels would go supplies of cloth spun by the spinsters, the cobblers leather goods, new tools and supplies of salt and spices. Also dried goods such as meat, fish, vegetables and some fruit and cereals grown on the estate for bread making. This the giving out of such boxes became “Boxing Day”.

Boxing Day wasn’t always on December 26th but the first working day after Christmas.

sweetie scone

In some parts of Scotland Boxing Day was once known as ‘Sweetie Scone Day’, when the lords and ladies of great estates would make cakes with dried fruit and spices to distribute among the poor.

This tradition continued into regular working class homes where ‘sweetie-skons’ (Sweetie Scones), which contained dried fruit and spices, and were the forerunner of oor modern “Currant Loaf”. The ingredients more than likely given by the Lord or Lady of the estate, as there were few homes that could afford such luxury of dried fruit and spices, but friendly neighbours would make up the deficit to those that could not afford, nor had the ingredients. So it was the custom that either the Lord / Lady of the estate, to their workers, would invite them to sample or to give the ‘sweetie-skon’ or that neighbours would invite neighbours to sample or give the ‘Sweetie Scone’ to others.

A lovely idea that the community would look after it’s most vulnerable in this way.

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Clan Crest Engraved Large Thistle Handle Quaich

The quaich is a traditional Scottish drinking vessel which was used to offer a guest a cup of welcome and also a farewell drink, usually a dram of whisky. The quaich has a rich heritage in Scotland. Indeed, they are a uniquely Scottish invention, having no apparent connection to any other European drinking vessel.

The word quaich comes from the Gaelic word ‘coach’, meaning cup and is pronounced ‘quake’. To be really accurate the ‘ch’ sound at the end of the word is sounded as in the word ‘loch’, which can be tricky for non Scots.

Quaichs are generally shallow, circular in shape and traditionally made from wood, with a pair of small lug handles projecting horizontally from opposite sides of the rim. The lugs, though functional, are of a unique curved style adding to the character of the quaich.
The making of these cups was an intricate art y which the quiach was either turned from a solid block or built up with tiny staves. The best quaichs, considered to be masterpieces, were built up with light and dark wood staves and bound round with withies or metal bands. The dozen or so staves of alternating woods such as plane-tree or laburnum were coopered together and also ‘feathered’ into each other; This was a technique in which small slivers of wood were split away from the sides of the staves and slotted into equivalent parings cut in the opposite direction.

Clan Crest 3in. Pewter Quaich With Gold Coloured Trim

As use of metals became more common int he late 17th century, so the quaich came to be made form brass, pewter, silver and sometimes a combination of these materials. When making a metal quaich the original design was kept but, where the originals wooden versions had solid, thick bases, metal quaichs were designed with a deeper and more bowl like inner cavity; reducing the overall weight while still retaining the outer shape. Thus the ladies of the era were saved the struggle of drinking elegantly from something that weighed the same as a large rock.

Quaich making became a highly regarded profession in 17th century Scotland. It’s likely quaichmakers made a large variety of different items, but took the name of their profession from their most accomplished and adored work.

Having originated in the Highlands, the quaich didn’t become popular throughout Scotland until around the 1740′s, when quaichs were carried from the north of Scotland with the canteens of the armies of Bonnie Prince Charlie. As a result the quaich was introduced to the Lowlands, making it as far south as Edinburgh. There are even accounts of quaichs being used as far south as Derby. The quaichs used by the Princes army are said to have glass bottoms, allowing those sipping a dram to keep an eye on what was going on around them; surely a sign of treacherous times.

Clan Crest Engraved Pewter Birthstone Quaich

Today quaichs have become a common site during Scottish wedding ceremonies. The newly married couple will each take a hold of one of the handles as they share a drink to symbolise their love, togetherness and trust. They may also pass the quaich around the guests to reinforce the trust and happiness of the couple, the families and all invited.

Many people today still offer welcome toasts to their guests using the quaich, but most give them as a gift to those they hold dear, or to celebrate a joyous occasion, such as a birth or marriage. These beautiful Scottish drinking cups are displayed in homes the world over and are, overwhelmingly, seen as a symbol of love, friendship, admiration and respect.

Take a look at our full range of quaichs HERE or take a peek at some of our favorites below….

The post What is a Quaich? appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

1. Dalmore

Dalmore 12 Year Old Whisky

In 1263, an ancestor of Clan Mackenzie saved King Alexander III of Scotland from being gored by a stag whilst out hunting. The grateful King granted the Mackenzies the right to bear a stag’s head, with twelve points to its antlers, signifying a ‘Royal’ in their coat of arms. Today every bottle of the Dalmore single malt is adorned with the clan’s proud emblem. The distillery is located on the northern shores of the Firth of Cromarty overlooking the Black Isle, and was originally established in 1839 by Alexander Matheson, a trader who made his fortune in opium imports. The Mackenzie family bought the distillery in 1866 and have recently begun to use the Mackenzie motto of Luceo Non Uro (I shine, not burn) as the company’s philosophy. The Dalmore Single Highland Malt Collection is matured in a wooden casks (both sherry wood and American white oak) which, along with the years and the climate, contributes to the flavour of each malt.

2. Clan MacGregor

Clan MacGregor Blended Whisky

Clan MacGregor blended whisky takes its name from the highland clan, honouring one the descendents of ancient Celtic royalty as proclaimed in the motto ‘Royal is my Race’. The blend is made from 15 malt and grain whiskies from the heart of Scotland, blended to create a delicate, sweet aroma and smooth, mellow taste. The bottles proudly carry the Clan MacGregor badge and motto, and with his kind permission, the personal crest of the 24th Clan Chief, Sir Malcolm MacGregor of MacGregor. The Clan badge, a crowned lion’s head on a wreath encircled with a belt and buckle, signifies the unity and loyalty of the clan who suffered two centuries worth of oppression. It is enjoyed in over 60 countries around the world, from the USA to Venezuela and the Middle East to Thailand.

3. Talisker

Talisker 10 Year Old

My personal favourite, this wee gem of single malt is produced at the Talisker distillery on the shores of Loch Harport on the Isle of Skye. It’s the only distillery on the isle, with the distillery’s seaside home giving it a deep peaty character followed by a hint of sweet. The distillery was built in 1831 by brothers Hugh and Kenneth MacAskil after they acquired the lease of Talisker House from the chief of Clan MacLeod. When a new lease for the distillery was negotiated with the chief in 1892 the annual payment was to be £23.12s and a ten-gallon cask of best-quality Talisker. Today the single malt continues to be the preferred dram of clan chiefs – the MacNeil of Barra leases their seat of Kisimul Castle to Historic Scotland at a cost of £1 per annum and a bottle of Talisker. In 2007 Talisker 18 year old won ‘Best Single Malt in the World’ at the World Whiskies Awards and was one of three whiskies described by poet Robert Louis Stevenson as “The king o’ drinks, as I conceive it” in his poem The Scotsman’s Return From Abroad.

4. Clan Campbell

Clan Campbell Blended Whisky

While the link between this blended whisky and the actual clan is unclear, the whisky takes it names from the clan who have 14 million descendents around the globe. Clan Campbell is one of the largest clans in Scotland and renowned for its bravery and influence over the country’s history since the 13^th century. The whisky is distilled, blended and aged in the Highlands, combining Scotch grain and malt whiskies that have aged in oak casks for at least three years. The present clan chief, Torquhil Ian, combines his duties as Duke or Argyll, chief and landowner with a consultant role with Pernod Ricard, promoting Scotch Whiskies including Chivas Regal and Glenlivet.

5. Drambuie and Glayva

Drambuie Liqueur

Glayva Liqueur

Technically not a Whisky, Drambuie is a sweet golden coloured liqueur made from malt whisky, honey, herbs and spices. Produced in Broxburn, West Lothian, Drambuie derives its name from the Gaelic phrase an dram buidheach, (the drink that satisfies). After the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Prince Charles Edward Stuart fled to the isle of Skye. There, he was given sanctuary by Captain John MacKinnon of Clan MacKinnon. According to family legend, after staying with the captain, the prince rewarded him with this prized drink recipe. This version of events is disputed by historians who believe it to be a story concocted to boost sales of the drink. The MacKinnon family produce the liqueur to this day. A similar liqueur is Glayva, produced in Leith since 1947. It made from a blend of aged Scotch whiskies, herbs, anise, cloves, almonds, heather honey, and citrus fruits. Legend has it that when Bonnie Prince Charlie was served a whisky based liqueur, he looked at his host, held up the glass and spoke the Gaelic “Gle mhath!”(very good) thus giving the drink the name it carries to this day.

The post Top 5: Whisky of the Clans appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

Ceylon Tea is famous the world over for its quality, and it all began with a Kincardineshire man. The son of a wheelwright, James Taylor was born on the 29th of March 1835 at Mosspark near Auchenblae. In 1852, at the age of 17, he immigrated to Ceylon (now modern day Sri Lanka) to work on a coffee plantation. By the mid-1870s Ceylon was the world’s largest coffee producer, however it wasn’t to last. In 1869 the first signs of coffee-rust, a coffee plant disease, were discovered, and it only took just over ten years for it to wipe out the entire coffee enterprise in Ceylon. This was a potential disaster since the Ceylonese economy and its people were heavily dependent on the coffee industry. But disaster was avoided with thanks to the reclusive James Taylor who had been experimenting with growing a different type of plant, growing it along the edges of the roads on his coffee plantation, Loolecondera. This plant was tea.

In 1866 Taylor had visited neighbouring India to learn the basics of growing tea on plantations. He returned and started a plantation at Loolecondera estate in Kandy in 1867 where he started growing small amounts of tea along with the coffee. By the time of the coffee-blight he had nearly 20 acres (77,000 m²) of the Loolecondra plantation planted with tea, and it wasn’t long before the local people, who were losing so much from the coffee-blight, came to Loolecondera to learn about the cultivation of and manufacture of tea. The uptake was rapid, and it eventually saved Ceylon’s economy and its plantation industry.

James Taylor was the first Ceylon planter to succeed with tea, and during his time at the Looleconderra estate the export of tea expanded from just 23 pounds to 22,900 tonnes by 1890. He died on the 2nd of May in 1892 at the age of 57. His gravestone says “In pious memory of James Taylor of Loolecondera Estate Ceylon, the pioneer of the cinchona and tea enterprise in this island, who died May 2, 1892, aged 57 years”.

Even though Taylor isn’t well known in his country of birth he is still widely revered in Sri Lanka, and in 1992 a museum was built to commemorate him, and the British High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, John Field, said of Taylor at the 100th anniversary of his passing: “It can be said of very few individuals that their labours have helped to shape the landscape of a country, but the beauty of the hill country as it now appears owes much to the inspiration of James Taylor, the man who introduced tea cultivation to Sri Lanka”.

For more information about Scotland’s Tea Festival and their events in Auchenblae and Laurencekirk, visit their website: www.scotlandteafest.co.uk/

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This coming Saturday is perhaps the biggest day of the year for Scottish cooking – Burns Night is the day in which the Scots skill for bashing turnips and squeezing minced sheep offal into an animal’s stomach bag is celebrated the world over. An absolute culinary essential to any Burns Night supper is the mighty haggis, a savoury pudding containing sheep’s pluck (heart, liver and lungs); minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, and salt, and finally encased in a sheep stomach, or as is more common today, sausage casing. In preparation for Burns Night on Bletherskite, last week I talked all about the supper itself, and this week it’s all about the fare..

Before I came to Scotland I wasn’t quite sure on which side of the Haggis fence I stood. I’m partial to mutton, and I absolutely love oats. However I was also a vegetarian for just over ten years, so the thought of the insides of a sheep minced together in a stomach sack was enough to have me feeling just a little queezy/traitorous. But I’m also not usually one to turn my nose up at something new to try, so low and behold within my first week of being in Scotland the famous delicacy was on offer at dinner at a friends house. My first experience was quite an odd one – I was served carbonara where the pancetta was substituted with haggis. And I absolutely loved it.

Since then I’ve had haggis on pizza, haggis nachos, haggis crisps, vegetarian haggis served on top of a roasted portobello mushroom, and last but not least, the kingpin of traditional Scots fare, ‘Haggis, Neeps and Tatties’. And I’m not alone in my love for this unlikely delicacy – demand is enormous inside and outside of Scotland, and goes through the roof when Burns Night approaches at the end of each January. UK sales of haggis have steadily increased for a number of years, rising from £6.387m to £8.778m in just two years from 2007 to 2009.

In an interview with BBC Food, leading haggis producer Jo Macsween of Macsweens of Edinburgh said they do about 30% of their annual haggis turnover in two weeks, with 50% of their stock heading south of the Scottish border. “We’ll be doing about 2 million portions of haggis in January alone… There’s a very high predominance of Londoners loving haggis, people say, ‘that’s because there are a lot of Scots in London’, well, there can’t be that many… Outside Edinburgh, London is the next biggest haggis eating city in the UK.”

Cosmo Tamburro Jnr face to face with his Burns haggis pizza

Consumers are also becoming increasingly more adventurous in their haggis consumption – Edinburgh based Cosmo Products Ltd recently added a ‘Haggis Pizza’ to its range of luxury pizzas. It’s the UK’s only retail haggis pizza, and is topped with Macsweens Haggis, alongside the more traditional Italian toppings of tomato and mozzarella. Upon launch of the pizza, Cosmo paid tribute to Robert Burns in its own inimitable style, with a one-off pizza portrait of the bard fashioned in haggis.

Generally regarded to be as Scottish as it comes, the origins of Haggis are surprisingly a hotly contested issue. Last year an English Historian made headlines when he declared the meal an English delicacy, claiming the origins of the dish are as made up as tartan. Others believe the dish is French in origin and stems from the time of the Auld Alliance, with the name ‘haggis’ coming form the French word ‘hachis’ which means ‘minced meat’. However most agree the word come from the Scots word ‘hag’ which means to chop or to hack.

Finally below, a quick roundup of the best of Haggis on the web. Whatever your plans for Burns Night this year, we hope it’s a good one! Slàinte mhòr!

• How to Make your Own Haggis – Recipe which includes a step by step photo guide by The Guardian
• Recipe for Vegetarian Haggis – sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s surprisingly gaining in popularity!
• Where to find the best Haggis in the UK – a guide by USA Today
• Buying Haggis in the USA – Haggis is currently banned from import to the states, however the ban looks likely to be lifted later this year.

The post Burns Night Prep – All Things Haggis appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

Burns Night came about a few years after the bard’s death, when a few of his pals decided to honour olde Rabbie’s memory with a supper. Today Burns Suppers are held annually on the 25th of January, and involve much merriment that I’m sure the bard would have approved of, including lashings of food, whisky, poetry and dancing.

This will be my first Burns Night in Scotland – last year I was visiting Norway at this time of year and missed out entirely. So since I’m rather new to all this Burns business, I decided to do a bit of research for all of you out there who, like me, will be honouring the bard for the first time

WHO IS ROBBIE BURNS?

Born on January 25, 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire, Robbie Burns has an extra special place in Scotland’s heart. You’ll already know what is considered his most famous work, Auld Lang Syne. It’s recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the top three most sung songs in the English language, alongside Happy Birthday and For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow. Just to show you how mad about him the Scots are, a 2009 STV poll voted Burns as the Greatest Scot of All Time, narrowly beating William Wallace to the post.

While his early life was hardly prosperous, Burns was given a rounded education which enabled him to develop a love for literature and song. As a young man he worked long and hard hours on the family farm, also developing an appetite for drink and the opposite sex. As well as bringing a huge creative output of poems into the world (including Tam O’ Shanter, Ae Fond Kiss and To a Mouse), Burns was also known for his numerous love affairs, fathering a total of 12 children. It is said the poet has over 600 living descendents, of which American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger claims he is one.

Burns sadly died at the young age of 37 in 1796 as a result of alcoholism and the after-effects of long periods of physical labour in his early life. After Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus, he has more statues dedicated to him around the world than any other non-religious figure. Finally, in yet another nice piece of synchronicity between Scotland and my home, the New Zealand town of Mosgiel was named after Robert Burns’ family farm in Ayrshire.

WHAT HAPPENS ON BURNS NIGHT?

A formal Burns Supper full of pomp and circumstance has a particular running order, starting with a piper who welcomes the guests. If you don’t have a piper handy then some traditional music will do. The chair will then begin the evenings proceedings by assembling the guests and introducing the evenings entertainment.

A short but important prayer is then read, authored by none other than Mr Burns. The Selkirk Grace is read in Scots, and goes like this:

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.

Then, the main event. Guests stand for Piping in the Haggis. The dinner’s star attraction should be delivered on a silver platter, followed by a whisky-bearer to ensure guests and vessels are well lubricated. An honoured reader, with a knife at the ready, will then give a lively and spirited rendition of another Burns classic, Address to a Haggis:

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’a grace
As lang’s my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin’, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit! hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad make her spew
Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as wither’d rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash;
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whissle;
An’ legs an’ arms, an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thrissle.

Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer
Gie her a haggis!

Before everyone digs in, the crowd then normally toasts the haggis by raising a glass and shouting ‘The haggis!’ in the last line of the poem. Now you’re allowed to eat, drink and be merry. You can find out more about Burns Supper fare below.

Dinner is followed by the Toast to the Lassies, which was once a speech given by a male guest to thank all the women who had prepared the meal. Now, it’s a much more amusing, informal affair and is followed by a Toast to the Laddies, where the women reciprocate with a speech of their own. Recitals of the works of Burns, and much drinking and nibbling will continue well into the night. The chair will close proceedings by inviting guests to stand and belt out a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne. The company joins hands and sings as one, having made sure to brush up on those difficult later lines.

 WHAT’S A HAGGIS?

The centrepiece of any good Burns’ Supper menu is the iconic haggis, or as the bard himself described it, the ‘great chieftain o’ the puddin’-race’. Haggis is a dish made of beef suet, beef fat (although some will prefer lamb), lamb pluck (heart and liver), oatmeal, onions and plenty of spices, all wrapped in sheep’s stomach. I swear, it’s absolutely beautiful. You can buy this from your local butcher, deli, supermarket or nearest Scottish store if you live overseas.

Traditional accompaniments to the haggis are neeps and tatties or as they are more commonly known – turnip and potatoes. These are normally served mashed. For a starter, Cock a Leekie soup is a good shout. And for desert, you can’t go wrong with Clootie Dumpling. You can find recipes for both of these in my Scots Christmas Fare post from last year.

WHAT TO WEAR?

Don’t forget our store over at ScotClans has everything you need to ensure you look the part this Burns Night. It’s definitely recommended that you wear at least a little bit of tartan! We’ve got loads of sashes, ties and bowties in stock and ready to ship now. But make sure you get your orders in quick – especially if shipping overseas. Click here to visit our store.

Best of luck for your respective Burns Night celebrations – and don’t forge it’s not cheating to use some modern technology to help you through any unfamiliar parts – the Burns app is a phone-sized guide to everything you need to know, while the Rhyme with Rabbie Burns online game can get you started on creating your own verses.

The post A Beginners Guide to Burns Night appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

Perhaps my favourite part of Christmas (after opening presents, of course), are the days spent feasting and picking at leftovers until you can’t possibly eat any more. Here’s a compile of traditional Scots Christmas fare, guaranteed to warm your cockles this holiday season. All recipes featured below come from Theodora Fitzgibbon’s book Traditional Scottish Cookery, first published in 1980 and found at a charity shop in Edinburgh (price – £2).

Cock-A-Leekie Soup

In the 1826 work The Annals of the Cleikum Club, author Dr Regdil wrote extensive recollections of feasts and dinner parties hosted by 17th century Scottish aristocrats. In it he wrote: “… I yield the Scots the superiority in all soups – save turtle and mulligatawny.”

Scotland has a long-standing and excellent reputation for soups, perhaps attributed to the Auld Alliance – the country’s long connection with France. Cock-A-Leekie soup likely originated in France as chicken and onion soup, but by the time it had made it’s way to Scotland in the 16th century, the onions were replaced with leeks. This soup is traditionally served at Christmas time banquets and at Burn’s Night supper, as well as an every day soup in winter.

• 1 boiling fowl about 4lb, (2 kg.) jointed or carcase, leg and wings of a bird.
• 3 chopped rashers streaky bacon
• water or stock to cover
• mixed bouquet garni of parsley, thyme, bay leaf
• salt and pepper
• 12 medium-sized leeks
• 1/4 lb. (125 g.) cooked, stoned prunes

Put the jointed bird, or carcase, legs and wings, and the bacon into a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and remove any scum. Add about 8 of the leeks, which have been well washed and chopped, the green as well as the white part, the herbs tied into a bundle, salt and pepper. Return to the boil, then simmer very gently for about 2-3 hours or until the chicken is cooked. Add a little more water if necessary but do not weaken the stock too much. Taste for seasoning, then strain, picking out the chicken, taking the meat from the bones and cutting it into small pieces. Add to the soup, together with the stoned prunes and the remaining chopped leeks and simmer very gently for not more than 15 minutes. It can be garnished with a very little cream and chopped parsley, but do not disguise the pure flavour too much.

Serves 8 if a whole bird is used, and at least 6 with the carcase etc.

Roastit Bubbly-Jock

This recipe comes from a Mrs. Buchanan in 1891, and is the traditional Scottish method of cooking turkey. At this time oysters were cheap and pentiful, forming part of the stuffing. It probably gets its curious name from the gobbling voice of the live bird.

• 1 hen turkey about 10 lb. (4.6 kg.)
• 2 oz. (50 g.) melted butter
• 1 pint (600 ml.) giblet stock, hot
• 1 heaped tablespoon redcurrant jelly

For the stuffing:

• 1 lb. (450 g.) sausage meat
• 4 oz. (125 g.) breadcrumbs
• 1/2 pint (150 ml.) milk
• 6 oysters, fresh or canned, optional
• 8 large, peeled cooked chestnuts
• 2 stalks chopped celery
• chopped turkey liver
• 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
• pinch of dried sage

Wipe the turkey inside and out and prick the breast lightly. Then soak the breadcrumbs in the milk and squeeze dry before adding all the other stuffing ingredients, then put this into the body and crop of the bird.
Put the bird in the roasting tin and brush with the melted butter, then add half the stock, cover with foil and roast at 350ºF. (170ºC.) or gas mark 4 for 20-25 minutes to the pound. Baste half way through cooking time, season and add the rest of the giblet stock, warmed. Boil up before putting it back in the oven and continue cooking.
Take off the foil 15 minutes before it is ready to let it brown, and add the redcurrant jelly to the pan juices, stir well, boil up rapidly to reduce slightly and serve separately. Enough for 10.

Clootie Dumpling

This traditional pudding is also spelt ‘Cloutie’, from being boiled in a ‘clout’ or cloth. It’s a favourite at Christmas time, with recipes varying from region to region. In the north-east recipes tend to use oats and golden syrup, while the further south you go, breadcrumbs and treacle are called for. Perfect alongside whisky-laden custard or brandy butter, the dumpling should be eaten within two days otherwise should be sliced then frozen. For a boxing day treat, toast or fry slices of the dumpling and serve as part of a full-Scottish breakfast.

• 4 oz. (125 g.) shredded suet, or margarine
• 8 oz. (225 g.) flour
• 4 oz. (125 g.) oatmeal
• 3 oz. (75 g.) sugar
• 1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
• 8 oz. (225 g.) mixed sultanas and currants
• 1 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon and ginger
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 2 eggs
• 3-4 tablespoons buttermilk or sour milk

Rub the fat into the sifted flour, then add all the other dry ingredients. Make a hole in the centre and add the syrup and beaten eggs and mix well. Then add enough buttermilk or sour milk to make a soft but firm batter. If using a pudding cloth dip it first into boiling water and then flour it well before adding the pudding mixture. Tie up, but allow a good space for expansion.
Or the mixture can be put into a lightly greased basin allowing a one inch (2.5 cm) space at the top. Tie down securely and boil with boiling water coming up to the rim for 2 1/2-3 hours. If using the cloth, put a saucer or plate in the bottom of the saucepan and stand the pudding in the cloth on top, then cover with boiling water and cook for 2 1/2-3 hours.

Shortbread

This traditional cake is special to Scotland and eaten all the year round, but especially at Christmas and Hogmanay as once upon a time it was a luxury and reserved only for special occasions. To ensure best results, it should be made from only the finest ingredients and will not have the proper flavour if butter is not used. Originally it was made from oatmeal, but nowadays the finest sifted flour and rice flour are used.

Although shortbread was prepared during much of the 12th century, the refinement of shortbread is credited to Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th century. The name of one of the most famous and most traditional forms of shortbread, petticoat tails, may have been named by her. This type of shortbread was baked, cut into triangular wedges, and flavored with caraway seeds. The ingredients should be warm and dry.

• 1 lb. (450 g.) butter
• 8 oz. (225 g.) castor sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 lb. (450 g.) sifted flour
• 8 oz. (225 g.) rice flour – if rice flour is not available then all wheat flour can be used, but reduce it to 1 lb. (45o g.) in all.

Cream the butter and sugar together very well. Mix the flours and salt, sift them, then incorporate them gradually but thoroughly until the dough is like a shortcrust pastry texture. Do not knead or roll out as this only toughens it. Press with the hand into two round cakes and if you don;t have a wooden shortbread mould, then put on to an ungreased baking sheet covered with baking-paper. The usual thickness is about 3/4 inch (1.9 cm.) for an 8-inch (20.3-cm.) shortbread.
Pinch the edges regularly with the finger and thumb and prick all over, lightly with a fork. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 375ºF. (190ºC.) or gas mark 5 for about 1 hour, and after 20 minutes reduce the heat to 350ºF. (180ºC.) or gas mark 4 to let it crisp up and get a pale fawn colour. Leave to cool before putting on to a rack.

The post Scots Christmas Fare appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

The move was described as a “massive breakthrough” by Scottish ministers. However there are a few technical issues to iron out, meaning it will be early 2014 before exports to America can resume.

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said he was delighted about the trade barrier lift, stating the announcement could mean the resumption of exports on other Scottish products such as Scotch lamb and haggis. “Scotch Beef has been off the menu in the USA for far too long and the reopening of an extremely lucrative market is a tremendous opportunity to expand our beef exports and one which I am keen for the industry to grasp.

Mr Lochhead added that it was “vitally important” to Scotland’s red meat industry that the UK government started to put procedures in place now to avoid unnecessary delay.

Anne MacColl, chief executive of trade promotion agency Scottish Development International, said: “Scottish Beef was among the first European red meat products to be awarded the coveted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status over 25 years ago and is recognised as being world class.

“The US continues to be the largest single export market for Scottish goods and services and food and drink exports to the US increased by 30% in 2012 to just under £1bn.

“The opportunity for Scotland’s beef industry is therefore significant and we will continue to work with Scottish producers to support their growth into new markets and capitalise on global opportunities.”

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