Is There Whisky You Can Eat?

You’ve already got enough whisky in your glass, why not get some on your plate? Cooking with whisky is an old tradition by now and it is often seen in the form of a rich barbecue sauce, or a staple ingredient in traditional desserts. And perhaps the most iconic of these desserts is the subject of today’s article – Cranachan.

Let’s take you back a few hundred years, to the origins of the Scottish sweet malt treat. Before Cranachan, there was crowdie. This was a popular breakfast, in which ‘crowdie cheese’ (a soft, fresh cow’s cheese) was combined with toasted oatmeal, cream, and honey to make a quick, actually nutritious breakfast that a modern influencer with any sense would quickly rebrand as ‘overnight oats.’

But then the harvest rolled around, and the Scots had to celebrate. They plucked raspberries straight from the bush and mixed them into crowdie, churning it until it evolved into Cranachan (which, by the way, literally means churn). But they STILL weren’t feeling celebratory enough. They decided to add a little bit of whisky.

Even then, this was completely optional, but the inclusion of that malty goodness makes the dish jump from breakfast, way over lunch and dinner, landing firmly in dessert. If you make it correctly, it shouldn’t get you hammered, but will broaden the desserts’ palate to accommodate a rich, full-bodied experience. If you want it to taste nice, the whisky shouldn’t be the star ingredient, and 5-10ml should comfortably suffice. If you ARE looking for the floor to get a bit wavy, put in as much as you please. Or eat 20 of them.

Nowadays, there are a million different ways of altering the recipe to your tastes. That’s the beauty of desserts like this really. In the modern day, where everything is plentiful year-round, there’s so much room to experiment. Some people have even removed the whisky (gasp). A popular alternative is the orange cranachan, with citrus flavours that compliment the whisky brilliantly. Or, instead of raspberries, you could include whisky soaked raisins, just to get that extra dose of malt.

Whisky’s applications truly are never ending. You can type ‘whisky cooking’ into Google and get a million results. Trust me on that, I’ve done it. You can experience it in every corner of your palate, solid or liquid. So if you’re looking to expand your love of whisky, why not start with sweet, delicious Cranachan?