traditions
| Scottish baking
Words by SARAH STACKHOUSE
Delight & reunite Our US-based writer prepares some of the dishes that remind her ‘mom’ of their Scottish heritage, just in time for the festive season
T ABOVE: Classic empire biscuits, a popular bakery treat in Scotland
64 Scotland
he aroma was a mixture of sweet and savoury as I bustled around my grandmother’s kitchen creating the menu items I was sure would be appreciated. I was in the midst of cooking a themed feast – a festive birthday surprise for my mom, which had been inspired by an event five years previously that had made my mom beam. That crisp September day, in a Balmoral bakery, we gazed admiringly at a case filled with splendidly yummy pastries, but there was one that caught our eyes particularly. The white icing hugged the biscuit in such a delicate way. Another layer of biscuit was below, with a thin smattering of jam marrying the two
layers together. Lastly, there was a colourful little jelly perfectly balanced on top – without it, this dessert would be incomplete. It was perfection; a pleasant blend of sweet and delectable. As soon as my mom saw it, her face lit up in pure elation in a way I’ll never forget. She told me that she hadn’t seen these biscuits since she was a young girl. As a child she shared them with her grandmother, who was originally from Scotland. I will never forget how happy she looked in that bakery, as we asked them kindly for two biscuits. We took a stroll down the lane and found a quaint park to sit in. Surrounded by the rustling trees, it was there that I tried my first empire
