What Is Tablet, Exactly?

Tablet is one of those Scottish sweets that is almost impossible to explain to someone who has never tried it. It is not fudge, though people reach for that comparison constantly. Fudge is soft and yielding. Tablet has a firmer, slightly grainy texture that crumbles apart and then dissolves on your tongue in a slow, caramel-sweet rush. The closest thing I can offer is this: imagine if fudge went to finishing school and came back a bit more serious about itself.

The sweet dates back centuries in Scotland, with early versions made using sugar and cream. Condensed milk only entered the picture in the twentieth century, but it quickly became the standard. It is far more forgiving than cream, which has a nasty habit of burning before you can blink, and it gives the finished tablet a lovely depth of flavour. The recipe you will find below uses condensed milk, butter, granulated sugar, and full-fat milk. That is it. Four ingredients, and an awful lot of stirring.

Getting It Right: Tips Before You Start

Tablet has a reputation for being temperamental, and that reputation is not entirely undeserved. The good news is that most failures come down to a handful of avoidable mistakes. The first is not dissolving the sugar fully in the early stages. If you rush this step and leave sugar crystals in the mixture, the finished tablet will be overly grainy rather than that characteristic fine, melt-in-the-mouth grain you want. Take your time. Use a spoon to lift some of the mixture and check there are no visible crystals before moving on.

The second common pitfall is temperature. You need the mixture to reach a proper rolling boil before turning it down to a brisk simmer, and you need to keep it there long enough. The target is 116-120 degrees Celsius. A sugar thermometer takes all the guesswork out of it and is genuinely worth buying if you plan to make tablet more than once. Alternatively, use the cold water drop test: drop a small spoonful into a glass of cold water and if it forms a soft ball, it is ready. If it trails and dissolves, keep going.

After taking the pan off the heat, beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken and lose its sheen. This is the step where patience matters. Beat too little and the tablet will not set properly. Beat too much and it will seize in the pan. Watch for the moment the glossy surface turns matte and the mixture starts to pull away from the sides slightly, then pour it into the tin straight away.

Serving and Variations

Tablet is typically cut into squares or fingers and served as it is, and that is genuinely the best way to eat it. You will find it on tea trays in Scottish guest houses, wrapped in cellophane at farmers markets, and stacked in tins at Christmas. It keeps well in an airtight container for up to two weeks, which makes it one of the best homemade gifts going.

If you want to make it a little more Scottish, add a generous splash of whisky right at the end of cooking, just before you take the pan off the heat. Go easy with it as it can overpower the delicate caramel flavour if you pour too much in. A teaspoon of vanilla extract is another option, though purists will tell you the caramelisation provides all the flavour you need, and they are not wrong. Some people also scatter a pinch of flaky sea salt over the top as it sets, which works well with the sweetness.

Ingredients

• 900g granulated white sugar
• 250ml full-fat milk
• 397g tin sweetened condensed milk
• 85g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the tin

Method

1. Lightly butter a 30x23cm (12x9 inch) baking tin or Swiss roll tin and set aside. Have everything measured and ready before you start, as the process moves quickly once the mixture is on the heat.
2. Put the granulated sugar, full-fat milk, and butter into a large, heavy-based saucepan (use the biggest one you have, as the mixture will rise dramatically when it boils). Place over a low heat and stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sugar has fully dissolved. This should take around 10-15 minutes. Lift a spoonful of the mixture and let it fall back into the pan: if you can see any sugar crystals, keep stirring on the low heat until they are completely gone. Do not rush this stage.
3. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, add the condensed milk and stir well to combine. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring continuously to prevent it catching on the bottom of the pan. The mixture will rise up considerably in the pan, which is why a large pot is essential.
4. Once boiling, reduce the heat slightly to maintain a brisk, active simmer. Keep stirring continuously for around 20 minutes. The mixture will gradually darken to a deep golden caramel colour. If you are using a sugar thermometer, you are aiming for 116-120 degrees Celsius. Alternatively, drop a small amount of mixture into a glass of cold water: if it forms a soft ball, it is ready. If you do not have a thermometer, the colour change and the way the mixture moves in the pan are your best guides.
5. Remove the pan from the heat immediately. Using a wooden spoon, beat the mixture vigorously. It will look very liquid at first. Keep beating steadily for around 5-8 minutes. As it cools slightly, you will notice it beginning to thicken and the glossy sheen will start to dull to a matte finish. Once it thickens noticeably and starts to leave trails in the pan as you stir, stop immediately and move to the next step. Do not over-beat or it will seize.
   
6. Working quickly, pour and scrape the mixture into the prepared tin. Tap the tin gently on the worktop a couple of times to level the surface and knock out any air bubbles. Leave to cool at room temperature for around 20 minutes, then use a sharp knife to score the top into squares or fingers. This makes cutting much easier later. Leave to set fully at room temperature for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight if possible.
   
7. Once fully set, cut along the scored lines using a sharp knife. The tablet should break cleanly with a slight resistance. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.