Scottish Tablet/Orkney Fudge

I had a bit of a culinary disaster the other day when I tried to make fudge using a recipe from one of those fund-raising booklets that the local kirks publish. I don’t know what happened but I ended up with a solid block of brown sugar which I couldn’t even get a knife into.

I hate the thought of waste so I added some likely ingredients and boiled the whole thing up again and came up with a real winner this time. It isn’t quite tablet as the consistency is denser and to me it tastes very like Orkney fudge which you used to be able to buy, but I haven’t seen it for years. This is actually easier to make than tablet.
I’m swithering about calling it Fablet or Tudge, but leaning towards Fablet as it does taste fab.

1 1/2 lbs demerara sugar
6oz unsalted butter
3 large tablespoons golden syrup
300 ml carton single cream

Put all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed pot and bring them to the boil. At this stage it is a lovely toffee sauce but if you continue to simmer it for between 20 and 30 minutes the mixture should darken and thicken. When it looks quite gloopy as it simmers it should have boiled enough.

Remove from the heat and using a wooden spoon stir well until you feel the mixture getting thicker and heavier as it cools.

Carefully tip the mixture into a metal tray. A Swiss roll tin is ideal. When it has set score the surface with a knife to whatever size suits you best.

I think that if you continued to boil the mixture for another 10 minutes or so it would turn into a lovely toffee, which would be great if you don’t have to worry about your fillings being pulled out by it. Unfortunately I do.

23 thoughts on “Scottish Tablet/Orkney Fudge

  1. Just wanted to congratulate you on a superb blog. I’ve included it in a suggested reading list for visitors to Scotland. bit.ly/bdUAdG

  2. Lovely recipe but if you’re wanting to get hold of Orkney fudge I bought some from a lovely Orkney shop in Inverness the other day- ‘Judith Glue’ on Bridge Street. Well worth the trip! I think you’re also able to get it on her website.

    • Thanks for the comment and info. I’ll have a look at her website – Inverness is too far from Kirkcaldy, we went to Inverness for our honeymoon! It was August but freezing.
      Regards, Katrina.

      • The petrol station in Kirkcaldy next to the railway station/museum/library sells orkney fudge opposite the tills.

        • kirkcaldy,
          Thanks for the info, I’ve not been in that garage for ages. Mind you I’m trying to trim my waistline at the moment so I might leave it a while before buying some Orkney fudge. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

          Katrina

  3. Lovely, thank you for the recipe!!! I love tablet too but there’s nothing as good as Orkney fudge, this recipe looks like a keeper. A friend in Shetland sends me a box every year, but this might keep me going in between shipments!!
    http://www.orkneystore.com also sells it online, fyi.

  4. Oh my goodness, does THAT bring back memories. I’m an ex-pat who have been living in the USA for almost 30 years. If I sit still enough and concentrate, I can almost taste the Orkney Fudge!

    Thanks for the memory!

    • Thanks for the comment. You should have a go at making some tablet or Orkney fudge. It can take a bit of practice to get it just right but it’s usually edible whatever. I think it’s the fastest way to put on weight though. Our weather here has been so bad that I’m beginning to wish that WE had moved away 30 years ago!
      Regards, Katrina

  5. Thanks for this – my sister is a real Orkney Fudge aficionado and we all used to enjoy it as a special treat on holidays to Elgin when we were children (my parents are Scottish expats living in England), so I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. It’s years since I last had Orkney Fudge but last week we were in the Trossachs and I discovered the Salted Caramel Fudge that they have in the fudge shop next to the church in the centre of town; to my memory it tasted very much like the Orkney stuff, albeit a bit more expensive!

    • Lynne,
      I hope it’s a success, I’ve recently bought a sugar thermometer which takes the guess work out of it. I’ve experimented with various sorts of sugar and always end up with something very edible although of course not great for the waistline! The Orkney fudge is still available in some wee sweetie shops and even garages/petrol stations now and again. I’ll be looking out for the salted caramel fudge. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

      • Me again – I made some, and it’s definitely fablet rather than tudge!
        I thought my sister was Orkney Fudge’s biggest fan, but she’s now told me that, in her estimation, Orkney Fudge actually only comes a close second to our mum’s tablet recipe (and the Callander salted caramel fudge is good but not AS good). I’ve yet to try this one but thought you might like to give it a try too:
        THE WORLD’S MOST HEAVENLY SCOTTISH TABLET EVER (in my [sister’s] opinion, lol!):
        Put 4oz of Sunflower Spread and 1/4 of a pint of milk in very large pot & melt.
        Add 2lbs of granulated sugar to liquid & allow to dissolve.
        Add 1 large tin of condensed milk to pot & bring to boil.
        Stir all the time for 20-25 mins (Don’t let it go brown, it should be golden-ish in colour).
        Remove from heat.
        Beat in 2 drops of vanilla essence, then pour into baking tin.
        Cut when cool.

  6. Try adding 2 table spoons of dessicated coconut to the mix during the final beating before pouring it into the tin. Another is to put in 2 teaspoons of rum essence and a handfull or two of raisens. Or try adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of whisky. All are lovely additions to a traditional favourite.

    • Allan Keir,
      Thanks, they’re all good ideas, except my husband doesn’t like raisins or any dried fruit like that, he says it’s like eating blisters. He does love ginger fudge and tablet though.

  7. I am a Scotophile living in the US, having last been over the pond in 2008, and having had the taste for Orkney Fudge since my first trip in 1972. I had despaired of ever having the pleasure of tasting it again, but you have given me hope! However, for an ignorant American, can you tell me what “golden syrup” is as well as the type of sugar you named? Also, is “single cream” the same as our
    whipping cream”? I am so anxious to be able to try to follow the recipe, but need some guidance. Thanks so much for posting your recipe.

    • Elizabeth,

      I believe that in the US what we call single cream is half and half, thin cream which doesn’t whip up. Demerara sugar is the light brown granulated sugar such as is used to sweeten coffee. I think this sugar gives a flavour very similar to Orkney fudge but you could experiment using different sugars, maybe half Demerara and half Muscovado. Golden syrup is much thicker and heavier than maple syrup. I think you might call it golden molasses. https://www.lylesgoldensyrup.com/
      Good luck!
      Katrina

      • Hi Katrina,

        I found the sugar and even golden syrup. After “googling” single cream I found that it is our “light cream” here in the USA. However, any help as to mi? I don’t think the cartons indicate that on their descriptions as we use oz. Thanks so much. I am looking forward to trying out the recipe as soon as I decipher it!

        • Elizabeth,
          As I recall I just poured cream into the mixture, but it was probably about a quarter of a pint which is 5 fluid ounces, or 150 ml. Make sure you use a big heavy bottomed pot/pan with plenty of space for the mixture to boil up safely. It’s good to know that you call single cream light cream. I suppose ‘half and half must be semi-skimmed milk. Good luck.

      • Golden syrup is fairly easy to make with sugar and water – an easy find online.
        As for the millilitres (mls) I think most measuring jugs have a number of measurements on them.
        Orkney fudge is usually made with condensed milk to give it it’s lovely rich flavour, but I am excited to try this recipe.

        • Linda Finnie,
          I never thought of making golden syrup. I hope you enjoy this version of Orkney fudge. Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to comment.

    • Lucy,
      No it won’t affect the mixture so if you want to use salted butter it should be fine. I’ve never used salted though so don’t know if the salt will come through the flavours. I hope it works well for you.
      Katrina

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *