Recipe Monday: Cranachan

     Well, it's Monday. In fact, it's Labor Day. It is nice to have the family together for some fun time. My mom, dad, and I went for a 3 mile sunrise walk before it heated up outside.  As a family, we went and did the monumentally fun thing that all families do when they're together. Kidding. We went to Walmart and then to Baskin Robbins for ice-cream.
     Back on topic, every Monday, my good friend, Kathleen, comes over for dinner and British TV.  She bought a British IP address, so we get to watch all the good shows (Downton Abbey!) in September rather than January.
     Spend five minutes with me, and you will find out that I am head over heels in love with Scotland. I've been three times, and it is my goal to be living there in the next five years.  I will need to write an entire post dedicated just to my favorite place in the whole world.
     Since, I can't go back at this time, I will have to settle on Scottish desserts. This, my friends, is cranachan.  If you're from the South like me, you pronounce it kran-ah-kin. If you're from the Scottish Highlands, it is pronounced cran-ah-chahn (cran=short a as in bath, ah=long a as in car, chahn= ch as in Bach, ah as in car). Make sense?  In my brief study of the Gaelic language, I've learned that you need to use your throat. 
     Enough chit chat, here is how to make cranachan. 

     I got my recipe from Claire Macdonald's Scottish Cookery. These are all the ingredients that you will need. I'm no Scotch connoisseur, but thankfully, my dad is. When I told him what I was cooking, he went into his cabinet and came back with this lovely bottle. The book I got the recipe from said that her personal favorite was Highland Park, but since we are out of that, I used The Antiquary instead. I would imagine that you don't want anything too peaty for cranachan. It is a dessert after all :) 

                                                

     This is one of the simplest desserts I've ever made, but believe me when I tell you, it is so delicious. There isn't a ton of alcohol in it, so don't worry about that.  All you do is whip the cream and throw it all together. It is definitely great for a last-minute resort.