Best of British – Scottish Raspberry and Pine Nut Bake

Best of British – Scottish Raspberry and Pine Nut Bake

Ahhhhh Bonnie Scotland, known for the glorious uncrowded landscape, the changeable weather and the malt whisky production.

Captivating Loch Ness
Photo Credit – FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Where stoic Scottish lads have occasion to don kilts “commando style” and where folks in general are fiercely proud of their Scottish heritage…………including me!

So I’m delighted to take part in this month’s Best of British Challenge which is focusing on Scotland. Hurray!

Photo Credit – FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Scottish food stereotypes aside, and believe me there are many, it should be noted that Scotland is abundant with wonderful produce and a challenge such as Best of British gives us bloggers the opportunity to showcase the natural larder of Scotland.

I did ponder a lot with this challenge. What would I do? Should I choose beef, venison or whisky as the Scottish ingredient? What about salmon?

Maybe something a touch more seasonal…raspberries maybe? A-ha… Scottish raspberries.

Scottish raspberries are in season from the end of June until the start of September. According to EattheSeasons.co.uk  the overwhelming majority of raspberries sold in the UK are grown in Scotland owing to the very long Summer days and so I feel it is a fitting ingredient for the challenge.

So it was either going to be a dessert or a cake of some kind. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post I’m not much of a baker so I procrastinated for a while. Then I thought of using Scot’s Porridge Oats, to emphasize the Scottish theme and with some guidance from BBC Good Food, I decided to make Scottish Raspberry and Pine Nut Bake.

Granted, this recipe will not help you shed the pounds and get you on your way to “Slim City” Indeed, I nearly fell off my chair when I saw the amount of butter I had to use in the bake. It’s not particularly associated with light Summer dishes either. But come on, we are talking about Scotland here …it’s hardly tropical weather is it? Need I remind you what Billy Connolly once said:

“There are two seasons in Scotland – Winter and July”

So I’m sure you’ll still be able to make it in the Summer months and if not, you could substitute it using Scottish brambles (blackberries) for a more Autumnal bake.

Scottish Brambles – image by Tom Curtis @ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The smell of baked raspberries has a wonderful aroma and the texture of the bake is somewhere between a crumble and shortbread with a delicious sweet buttery aftertaste. The bake should last 2/3 days but I feel it tastes at it’s best when it is warm and served with a touch of vanilla ice cream.

Here is a glance of the ingredients you will need for the bake.

Ingredients for Raspberry and Pine Nut Bake

Print Scottish Raspberry and Pine Nut Bake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Serving Size: Makes 9 squares

Perfect for dessert or afternoon tea for a rainy Summer's day.

Ingredients

• 200g of plain flour
• 200g of porridge oats
• 240g of butter at room temperature, cut into small cubes
• 175g of brown sugar
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 100g of pine nuts
• 250g of raspberries

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Butter a shallow 23cm square tin.
3. Tip the flour, oats and butter into a mixing bowl and use your fingers to work the mixture together to make coarse crumbs.
4. Mix in the sugar, lemon zest and half the pine nuts using your hands, then press the mixture together well so it forms large sticky clumps.
5. Place about two thirds of the oat mixture into the base of the tin, spread it out and press down very lightly being careful not to pack it too firmly.
6. Scatter the raspberries on top, sprinkle the rest of the oat mixture over, then the rest of the pine nuts and press everything down lightly.
7. Bake for 40 minutes until pale golden on top.
8. Cut into 9 squares with a sharp knife while still warm.
9. Should you prefer, leave to cool down in the tin before removing.

Notes

You may feel terribly guilty after eating this bake. Why not work it off in the gym later on?

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I’m entering this recipe into the Best of British Challenge for July, which is currently being hosted by the very talented Janice over at Farmersgirl Kitchen and at The Face of New World Appliances. Have a peek and see how you can participate too!

What are your favorite Scottish ingredients or dishes ? Do let me know in the comments below!

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