Rhubarb & Honey Cranachan
Cranachan is one of Scotland's most celebrated desserts - cream, whisky, honey and toasted oats, traditionally layered with raspberries. This version swaps raspberries for roasted rhubarb, which brings a sharp, jammy depth that works beautifully against the sweetness of the caramelised oats and the warmth of the whisky cream. The oats are toasted in butter and brown sugar until lightly caramelised, giving them a crunch that holds up against the pillowy cream. It looks stunning served in a glass, and is the kind of pudding that feels special without being complicated. If you have forced rhubarb to hand, the slim, vibrantly pink variety available from January through March, it works equally well with a shorter roasting time.
Rhubarb Cranachan
Roasted rhubarb, caramelised honey oats and a pillowy whisky cream, layered up in a glass. The Scottish classic, done properly for spring.
Ingredients
- 1kg rhubarb, cut into short batons
- 100g caster sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or half a pod
- 2 tbsp whisky (optional, but very good)
- 1.5 tbsp butter
- 150g porridge oats
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 700ml double cream
- 4 tbsp runny honey
- 1 to 2 tbsp whisky
- Pinch of salt
- Extra honey to drizzle, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C. Toss the rhubarb with the sugar, honey, whisky and vanilla and arrange on a shallow tray lined with parchment. Bake for 20 minutes until soft but not collapsing. Cool fully.
- Melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming, add the oats and toast for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, then add the sugar. Stir for 3 minutes until the oats are lightly caramelised, then tip onto a piece of baking paper and leave to cool.
- Whip the cream until soft peaks, then add the honey and mix in. Add the whisky and a pinch of salt and whisk again until soft peaks. It should hold its shape but still feel pillowy.
- To assemble, put a couple of teaspoons of oats in the bottom of a 500ml glass or dessert bowl, add a couple of tablespoons of cream, followed by rhubarb. Repeat twice more, finishing with a cream layer, a light sprinkle of oats and one piece of rhubarb. Drizzle with a little extra honey if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
720Fat
44 gSugar
53 gProtein
6 gCarbs
68 gApproximate values per serving
Ingredients and Sourcing Tips
Rhubarb
Look for firm, bright stalks with good colour. Outdoor rhubarb is available from around March through to late summer and has a robust, tart flavour that holds up beautifully to roasting. If you are using forced rhubarb, the slim, pale pink variety grown in the dark and available from January through March, halve the roasting time to around 10 minutes as it is far more tender and will collapse quickly. Forced rhubarb is also naturally sweeter, so you may want to reduce the sugar slightly.
Honey
A good runny honey works best. A floral variety adds more depth than a neutral supermarket own-brand. Avoid dark, strongly flavoured honeys which can overpower the rhubarb.
Whisky
Use a Speyside single malt for a lighter, honeyed character that complements the rhubarb without overpowering it. Glenfiddich, Tamnavulin or The Glenlivet all work well. Avoid heavily peated whiskies here - the smokiness fights the fruit rather than supporting it.
Oats
Use porridge oats rather than jumbo oats for a finer, more even caramelisation. The oats toast quickly in the butter and sugar so keep the heat moderate and stir regularly to avoid burning. They should smell nutty and look lightly golden before you tip them out.
Variations
Non-alcoholic
Replace the whisky with elderflower cordial in both the rhubarb and the cream. The floral sweetness works surprisingly well against the tartness of the rhubarb and keeps all the elegance of the original.
Crème fraiche cream
Fold a couple of spoonfuls of crème fraiche into the whipped double cream before layering. It adds a pleasant, gentle tang that cuts through the richness without losing the pillowy texture that makes this rhubarb cranachan so good.
Forced rhubarb
Forced rhubarb works from January through to March. The stalks are more tender, sweeter and a deeper pink, which makes the finished dessert look even more striking in the glass. Roast for 10 minutes only and check early - it softens much faster than outdoor rhubarb.
Ginger
A thumb of finely grated fresh ginger added to the rhubarb before roasting adds warmth and works particularly well in this.
Kitchen Notes
Cool the rhubarb completely
This is the most important step. Warm rhubarb will melt the cream on contact and the layers will collapse. Give it plenty of time, at least half an hour at room temperature.
Make the oats ahead
The caramelised oats can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container. They will soften slightly if assembled too far in advance and you want maximum crunch.
Assembling
Assembled glasses will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The layers will settle and merge a little which some people prefer. If you want distinct, clean layers and crunchy oats, assemble just before serving.
The cream
The whisky cream should hold soft peaks - firm enough to sit in layers but still light and pillowy when you eat it. Add the whisky after the initial whipping as it will loosen the cream slightly, then whisk again briefly to bring it back. Do not over-whip or it will become grainy.
Seasoning
A pinch of salt in both the oats and the cream is not optional. It sharpens every other flavour and stops it tasting one-dimensionally sweet.
Serving Suggestions
How to serve
Drizzle a little extra honey over the final cream layer just before serving for a beautiful gloss, and add a final light sprinkle of caramelised oats and one well-placed piece of rhubarb on top. It should look effortless and generous.
When to serve
Its one of those desserts that looks far more impressive than the effort involved, which makes it ideal for dinner parties. It can be assembled in the glasses hours ahead and pulled straight from the fridge when needed.
Portion sizes
This recipe makes four generous 500ml glasses. If you are serving it as part of a larger spread or after a substantial meal, the same recipe will comfortably stretch to six smaller portions without losing any of the impact.
