A wee taste of home.........

Sometimes, its the smaller things that you miss....

There are a few things that I haven't really been able to get since moving down here, and others have become less available as time has gone on, amongst others:

- Tattie scones
- Scotch pies
- Breakfast fruit pudding
- Red Kola
- Tennants beer/lager (the good stuff, not Super!)
- 'proper' Snowballs from the bakers
- Tunnocks Snowballs
- Tunnocks Caramel Logs

I could go on.....

Anyway, on Friday we decided to go to Farmfoods to fill the freezer a bit and as its a Scottish company I managed to get some Scotch Pies, Tunnocks Snowballs and Tunnocks Caramel Logs - - I have just had a couple of the Caramel Logs and they are absolutely divine! The only reason that I can think that these are not widely stocked in English supermarkets is to prevent the other biscuits being overshadowed.

All I need to do now is get my finger out and make some tablet......

 

Ooooh, macaroon bars! I haven't seen them in years!

I use an online butcher that is really good @lost_in_france - deliver everything blast frozen to your door and it is all 'proper' butcher meat; they do a good quality lorne sausage which goes down well.

I am also lucky enough to have a shop nearby that sells rolls that are all-but as good as Scottish rolls - - a bit of lorne in one of those, topped off with a slice of tattie scone and a fried egg.... bliss!

 

Bridies!! I take it you hail from the West Coast then?

 

The bridies gave it away

My mum lives in Musselburgh, and its quite remarkable the differences over there on the east coast from the west; one of the ones that used to catch me out when I first moved over to the east was the "salt 'n' sauce" at the chippie instead of "salt 'n' vinegar" that we are used to in the west.

Its amazing how this is such a small world - I originate from Dumfries, then latterly lived in Musselburgh; I had relatives that lived in Glasgow (Anniesland) and Strathaven, and since moving down here I work closely with a chap from Ayrshire, another from Glasgow, and another from Port Glasgow...... seems us Scots get everywhere

 

I will dig my tablet recipe out and send you it - - if you can get sweetened condensed milk and sugar you are all but there; I will PM you when I find it

 

Of course you can I will need to find my wee recipe book, but I will either post here and tag you or send you a PM when I find it

 

Found it!

@maria and @lost_in_france

7oz sweetened condensed milk
2lb sugar
1 tbsp butter
8 fl oz milk
Couple of drops of Vanilla Essence (if wanted)

Put all of the above ingredients in a large pot. Lightly grease a baking tray with some butter. Gently heat the ingredients and slowly bring to the boil, stirring continually until the mixture begins to boil.

Be prepared to turn down the heat when it starts to boil so that it doesn't boil over. Caution - VERY HOT, will remove skin if you're not careful Let the mixture boil gently for a few minutes.

To test, take a sample on a tablespoon and drop it into cold water - if the blob goes the consistency of soft putty, it is ready.

Take the pot off the heat, and beat with a wooden spoon continuously until the mixture at the sides of the pot starts to solidify a bit. Pour into the waiting tray and allow to cool. Mark into squares when not fully cold, and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares to be eaten.