Scottish Cranachan (Raspberry Oatmeal Parfaits)
A Scottish treat for the summer heat.
With the heavy heat and long sun-streaked days, the world opens up with a bounty of berries. And when it comes to Scotland, nothing says summer in the highlands quite like tart ruby red raspberries with ample cream and a heavy pour of whiskey. This Scottish Cranachan is the ultimate summer parfait!
When raspberries are plentiful, this Scottish Cranachan is a must. Macerated raspberries are laced with honey, and whipped cream is folded with whiskey-soaked oats to make a layered dessert unlike any you’ve come across.
Start the night before and toast your oats. Mix 1/3 cup of the oats with whiskey, stir, and refrigerate until the next day.
The next day, take raspberries and roughly mash them with a bit more scotch, honey, and sugar.
Next, make the whipped cream and mix in the last bit of scotch and honey, and fold in the soaked oats.
Now, if you’re making this for a crowd and don’t want it to be booze-soaked for the kids, swap out the scotch for a heavy black tea. While it won’t have the same flavor as the original Cranachan, it’ll be a kid-friendly alcohol-free version.
Once you have the berries, oats, and cream mixtures ready, you can finally start assembling! Layer the raspberries on the bottom followed by the whipped cream mixture, and then topped with the reserved toasted oats. Repeat this layering process until you get to the top.
Scottish Cranachan is a taste of summer that’s yet to be encountered.
This interaction of raspberries, scotch whiskey, oats, and cream is a combination that needs way more recognition. The raspberries complement the whiskey and act as a contrast to the whipped cream.
Every inch of this parfait is perfumed with scotch whiskey that slows down the day and gives you a reason to unwind.
It’s a great dessert to make in the summer, especially after you’ve gone berry picking or want to entertain without turning on your oven.
Scottish Cranachan (Raspberry Oatmeal Parfaits)
Allergens: Milk
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup oatmeal, lightly toasted until golden and divided
- 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons scotch whiskey, divided
- 2 cups (about 12 ounces) fresh raspberries
- 3 tablespoons honey, divided
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
Preparation
- In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup oats with 1/3 cup scotch whiskey, stirring to combine. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- In another bowl mash raspberries roughly until broken up. Add in 1 tablespoon scotch, 1 tablespoon honey, and the granulated sugar, stirring to incorporate.
- In a third bowl whip cream until it starts to form soft peaks. Add in remaining 2 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons scotch and whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the scotch-soaked oats into the whipped cream.
- To serve, layer the raspberry-mixture into the bottom of the glasses, followed by the whipped cream-mixture. Sprinkle some of the remaining 1/4 cup oats on top of the cream mixture. Repeat this layering process a second or third time, garnishing with the remaining oats.
- Serve immediately and enjoy. This dessert does not work well assembled ahead of time. You can make all of the components beforehand and then assemble right before serving.
Recipe adapted from Christina's Cucina.