Hairy Bikers Cranachan Recipe

This Hairy Bikers cranachan layers whisky and honey cream with toasted oats, flaked almonds and fresh raspberries in tall glasses. And this lighter version is from their BBC series Best of British, serving 6 in 40 minutes at about 445 calories a glass.

In the words of the BBC write-up, half-fat crème fraîche goes in “to lighten the cream mixture”, which also gives it a tangier edge. And flaked almonds join the oats for crunch, while half the raspberries stay whole and half are pressed into a sweet purée.

Stopping the whisk at floppy peaks matters most for me, because the cream firms up further once it meets the oats. So I lift the beaters while the cream still slumps softly off them, which keeps every layer light rather than claggy.

Hairy Bikers Cranachan Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:No-Bake Cuisine:British Scottish Courses:Dessert

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 5 minutesRest time: 5 minutesTotal time: 40 minutesServings:6 servingsCalories:445 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Two rounds of whisky cream, golden oat crunch, whole berries and sieved purée go into each glass. Then a last trickle of honey finishes the top, just before everyone sits down.

Ingredients

For the oats

• 75g porridge oats
• 35g flaked almonds

For the whisky cream

• 300ml double cream
• 150g half-fat crème fraîche
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp whisky
• 3 tbsp clear honey, plus extra for drizzling

For the raspberries

• 400g fresh raspberries
• 2 to 3 tbsp caster sugar

Instructions

1. Toast the oats: Dry-fry the oats and almonds in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then. Once they are light golden brown, tip them onto a plate to cool, so the hot pan doesn’t keep browning them.
2. Whip the cream: Pour the double cream and crème fraîche into a large bowl, then add the vanilla, whisky and honey. Whisk with an electric whisk until floppy peaks form, then stop.
3. Make the purée: While the oats cool, press half the raspberries through a sieve set over a clean bowl with a ladle and discard the seeds. Then sweeten the purée with the sugar to taste.
4. Build the first layer: Set 6 tall glasses or tumblers on a tray and divide half the whisky cream between them. Next, scatter over half the oats and almonds and half the whole raspberries, then drizzle over half the purée.
5. Repeat and serve: Repeat with the rest of the cream, oats, raspberries and purée, keeping the layers loose rather than pressed down. Drizzle over a little extra honey if you like, then serve as soon as the glasses are layered, since the oats soften as they stand.

FAQs

Is this an easy cranachan, and can I use all cream?

It’s about as easy as puddings get, because nothing bakes and the only cooking is 5 minutes of toasting oats in a dry pan. So the real work is whisking and layering, which a beginner can manage first time.

If you’d rather skip the crème fraîche, use an extra 150ml of double cream instead, which adds roughly 70 calories a glass. But even the lighter version is rich, so I use small tumblers rather than big sundae glasses.

Can I make cranachan in advance?

You can make every part ahead, but only layer the glasses at the last minute. So I toast the oats in the morning and jar them once cold, while the cream and purée wait covered in the fridge.

Then I give the cream a quick whisk if it has slackened, and building six glasses takes about 5 minutes. But I wouldn’t keep leftover glasses past the same evening, since the purée bleeds into the cream.

Which whisky and honey work best?

Any whisky and clear honey will do, but I reach for a blended Scotch, because 3 tablespoons of smoky Islay malt can drown the cream.

Many Scottish cooks like heather honey here, though any runny honey works. And since the whisky is never cooked, I make whisky-free glasses for children, with an extra drop of vanilla instead.

Is this the same as Mary Berry or James Martin cranachan?

No, this page is the Hairy Bikers version from Best of British, not a Mary Berry or James Martin recipe. So if you’re after one of theirs, go to their own books, because I only cook and check Hairy Bikers recipes here.

A different take is their cranachan rice pudding in Everyday Winners, where blueberries replace raspberries and honey and maple oats bake until toasted. And I’ve covered it in an FAQ on the Brilliant Bakes rice pudding page.

What should I serve before cranachan on Burns Night?

A Burns supper usually means haggis, neeps and tatties for the main, with cranachan to finish. So before the haggis, I serve a bowl of Scotch broth, which simmers lamb shoulder on the bone with pearl barley.

And for anyone staying over, their tattie scones fried in butter make a good breakfast the morning after.