History

Tablet, a harder and grainier cousin of fudge, has been made in Scotland since at least the 18th century, when it appeared in Lady Grisell Baillie's household book. Boiled from sugar, butter and condensed milk and beaten until it grains, it sets into a crumbly sweet sold at markets, church fairs and the Barras. Glasgow tea rooms and stalls still make it by the tray.

Common allergens: Milk

Make it at home

Yield Makes about 30 piecesHands-on 30 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1kg granulated sugar
  • 250ml whole milk
  • 100g butter
  • 397g tin condensed milk

Method

  1. Warm the milk, butter and sugar in a large heavy pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Bring to a gentle boil and stir in the condensed milk.
  3. Cook, stirring constantly so it does not catch, for about 20 minutes until it reaches 115C on a sugar thermometer.
  4. Take off the heat and beat hard for several minutes until the mixture thickens and starts to grain.
  5. Pour into a lined tray and smooth the top.
  6. Mark into squares while still warm and leave to set before cutting.

Tip from the editors. Beat it off the heat until it loses its shine and starts to grain; that graininess is what separates tablet from soft fudge.

Where to eat tablet

Tablet in Glasgow

Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Glasgow. See the Glasgow signature dishes guide for the canonical version.

More cities are in research. Want tablet covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →