Traditional Old Fashioned Scottish Flummery Recipe - Larder Love (2024)

Author: Karon Grieve

Recipe

Want to finish off a meal in real Scottish style? And a dash of whisky too of course. Then this wee recipe for traditional Scottish Flummery is definitely the way to go.

Traditional Old Fashioned Scottish Flummery Recipe - Larder Love (1)

What is flummery?

Flummery (what a wonderful word) is an ancient recipe that has featured in Scottish feasts dating right back to the 15th century.

This is an easy flummery recipe but you will have to soak the oatmeal for 48 hours prior to making the dish. So plan ahead when you want to add this wee touch of Scottish magic to your dinner table.

What does flummery mean?

Flummery means this Scottish dessert of course. But the dictionary also explains flummery as ‘meaningless or insincere flattery or conventions’.

The complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this recipe can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

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What’s in flummery?

As I’ve already said, this is an old recipe. Nowadays you’ll see recipes for Flummery that incorporate jelly and tinned cream. Well that’s not traditional flummery.

This flummery dessert takes it’s starchiness from the soaked oats. It’s body if you will, the stuff that holds it together. Not the jelly that features in some of the flummery recipes on the internet.

A note on the oats. I used Scottish oatmeal in my flummery recipe. The starch in oats varies. When you boil up the oat water the time can vary on how long your flummery dessert takes to thicken. This is all due to the starch in the oat water.

Don’t even think about the calories in this little dish, what with double cream, whipping cream, sugar and honey, oh, and a wee dash of whisky too! You just have to think of it as a wee Scottish treat perfect for a supper party.

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How to make flummery

You soak the oatmeal in cold water for 48 hours and then strain it reserving the liquid and discarding the oatmeal itself. It is the oaty flavoured water you want for making this dessert.

You then mix this with the orange juice and sugar and bring to the boil stirring for at least 15 minutes until it is very thick. timings of this depend on the starchiness of the oatmeal.

Tip; If it doesn’t thicken to your liking add cornflour in a little water to thicken it up.

Remove from heat and allow to cool before stirring in the double cream then pour the flummery into 6 little glasses and chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Then mix the whisky with the honey and add a teaspoonful to each glass. Finally whip the cream and add this on top of the flummery finishing off with a sprinkling of grated zest from the orange.

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How many servings?

This recipe for Flummery will make 6 small servings. As it is a rich dessert make your servings on the small side. I like to serve mine in these small upright glasses with tiny coffee spoons.

This recipe was taken from my Scottish party food book A Wee Taste Of Scotland.

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Here are some other Scottish puds you might like to try;

Cranachan Cheesecake

Porridge Brulee

Cranachan Cream

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.

Photos And Tips AboveMost of my recipes have step by step photos and useful tips plus videos too, see above.

Traditional Old Fashioned Scottish Flummery Recipe - Larder Love (6)

Flummery

Karon Grieve

Flummery is an ancient Scottish dessert that dates back to the 15th century

4.80 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Comment Bookmark Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Scottish

Servings 6 servings

Calories 162 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp medium oatmeal
  • 6 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 4 tbsp caster sugar
  • 75 ml double cream
  • 2 tbsp Scotch whisky
  • 2 tbsp runny honey
  • 75 ml whipping cream
  • zest of 1 orange

MetricUS Customary

Instructions

  • Soak the oatmeal in 450ml/15 floz cold water for 48 hours then drain and discard the oatmeal retaining the liquid

  • Pour the liquid into a pan and add the orange juice and sugar

  • Bring to a boil stirring continuously till thick this can take from 15 minutes depending on the starchiness of the oatmeal used. If it doesn't thicken to your liking add cornflour dissolved in a tiny amount of water to thicken.

  • Remove from heat and allow to cool

  • Stir in the double cream and pour into 6 small serving glasses

  • Chill in fridge for 30 mins

  • Mix whisky with honey and add a teaspoon to each glass

  • Whip the cream and top each glass and sprinkle with orange zest

Notes

If the flummery doesn’t thicken try adding a little cornflour dissolved in water.

Nutrition

Calories: 162kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 10mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 402IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg

My Top Tips*Always read the full recipe first. *Assemble all your ingredients and everything you need before you start. *For baking check the size of tins I’m using as this makes a big difference to your cakes. * I use medium sized eggs unless otherwise stated. * I use extra virgin olive oil unless otherwise stated. * I use unsalted butter unless otherwise stated. * Check out My Preserving Kit!

Tried this recipe?Mention @LarderLove or tag #LarderLove

Traditional Old Fashioned Scottish Flummery Recipe - Larder Love (2024)

FAQs

What is flummery made of? ›

In Australia and New Zealand, post World War II, flummery was the name given to a different foodstuff, a mousse dessert made with beaten evaporated milk, sugar, and gelatine. Also made using jelly crystals, mousse flummery became established as an inexpensive alternative to traditional cream-based mousse.

What is a traditional Scottish sweet? ›

Shortbread, the quintessential Scottish sweet treat, is an expertly crafted biscuit comprised of copious amounts of butter.

What is the most famous Scottish dessert Cranachan made of? ›

Cranachan
CourseDessert
Place of originScotland
Main ingredientsWhipped cream, whisky, honey (preferably heather honey), raspberries, oatmeal
1 more row

Is flummery the same as blancmange? ›

The name Flummery originally came from the Welsh Illymru, a dish of oats cooked until they were almost solid, eaten with honey or a sweet sauce. Later it became a jelly or blancmange, sometimes made in elaborate moulds for table centers, such as a Flummery in the shape of a fish in a pond of jelly.

What does the word flummery meaning? ›

Definitions of flummery. a bland custard or pudding especially of oatmeal. type of: pudding. any of various soft sweet desserts thickened usually with flour and baked or boiled or steamed. meaningless ceremonies and flattery.

What is the most popular dessert in Scotland? ›

Cranachan. What is this? Though this list is in no particular order it's hard not to put Cranachan in the number one spot. This classic Scottish dessert is hugely popular in Scotland and was traditionally made to celebrate the raspberry season.

What is Scotland's national cake? ›

Dundee Cake is one of the most famous and widespread traditional Scottish cakes. Usually, it is being made using almonds, currants, sultanas and sometimes cherries, alongside a wide range of...

What is Scottish sweetbread? ›

For those that are not aware, sweetbreads are a type of offal and come from the thymus, situated at the base of the throat, of either calves or lambs. For this reason they are often called throat sweetbreads. The thymus produces T cells which help us to attack any pesky germs that try and make us ill.

What is Scottish fruit cake called? ›

Dundee cake is a traditional Scottish fruit cake.

What is black pudding Scottish food? ›

Black pudding is another traditional Scottish dish that is very similar to haggis as they are both made with the same ingredients: onions, pork fat, oatmeal and spices. Contrary to haggis, black pudding is made from pigs' blood, which holds all the ingredients together.

What is evaporated made of? ›

Evaporated milk is simply fresh milk that's been heated until about 60 percent of its water content has evaporated. From here, the evaporated milk is homogenized, canned and heat sterilized. There are three different kinds of evaporated milk depending on the milk's fat content: whole milk, low-fat and skim.

What was Jell-O made of? ›

Jello is usually made from gelatin — derived from the bones and skin of animals. Unless plant-based gelling agents are used, it's unsuitable for vegetarian diets. Plus, it has little nutritional value and often contains artificial colors, sweeteners, or sugar — which may have negative health effects.

What is evaporated creamer made of? ›

Ingredients: Milk solids, palm olein, soy lecithin, contains stabilisers and emulsifier as permitted food conditioners, vitamins (A, D3). Food additives uses are derived from plant and synthetic origin. *Evaporated creamer is not be used to feed infants below 12 months of age.

What is Blancmange made of? ›

Blancmange (/bləˈmɒnʒ/, from French: blanc-manger [blɑ̃mɑ̃ʒe]) is a sweet dessert popular throughout Europe commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with rice flour, gelatin, corn starch, or Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured with almonds. It is usually set in a mould and served cold.

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