Atholl Brose.....

I was born in Scotland and have only been living in the United States for the past 10 years. There are some things which I miss from across the ocean, mostly family and friends but next on my list of voids would be items which would take up space in my stomach. I have an old Scottish cookbook which I bring out when I'm feeling a little patriotic and yearning for some tasty memories.

During a recent business trip to San Francisco my wife picked me up a bottle of Atholl Brose. She had originally tried  to find another favorite Scottish liqueur of mine, Glayva but was informed by this particular store that they no longer carried it. Glayva is like Drambuie, a sweet, thick spicy after dinner drink made from aged Scotch whisky. Atholl is more like a regular Scotch but still on the sweeter side

The origin of Athole Brose may have been explained by a tale of the Duke of Atholl capturing his enemy, the Earl of Ross, in 1475. Supposedly, the Duke filled a well, where the Earl liked to drink, with a mixture of oatmeal, honey and Scotch whisky. The Earl of Ross (and Lord of the Isles) drank heartily of this potion and was easily taken prisoner according to the legend. Nothing is known about the remainder of the well's contents, but it is hard to imagine that even a drop was wasted.

I remember seeing a recipe in the book which mentioned using Atholl. I looked it up and sure enough It was a lightly whipped cream pudding with some toasted oatmeal, honey and a generous glug of the whisky mixed in. The finished dessert was good but If I made It again I'd probably cut the whisky from 3tbsp to 2tbsp. I also used agave instead of honey, partly because I didn't have any honey and usually always try to use agave as a sweetener whenever I can. I also made a simple shortbread with some lemon zest through it to dip into the cream.

1 and 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup toasted oats

3tbsp honey

2-3tbsp Drambuie or Atholl Brose

Whip the cream until just set, mix in the rest of the ingredients and chill for 30 minutes. Serve in a tall glass, maybe alongside a shot of the whisky for a warm and fuzzy feeling.