YOGURT, STRAWBERRIES + "CRANACHAN"
Tuesday, June 19, 2012 at 9:37PM 
So maybe I got a bit greedy when I stopped by the farm for strawberries. They told me it'd be their last day of picking, the season had come to a close and friends, these strawberries are unlike any berry you've ever had. They are crimson red in their entirety and the juice seeps through your fingers like a summer peach. I bought six pints to have an appropriate strawberry binge before I wouldn't see them for another year. Fresh as they are, they turn pretty quickly, so there have been a lot of strawberry snacks. I ate most of them straight from the basket, made this again, put them in salad, on coconut gelato, and mashed up the rest in their last possible moment before turning on me for these yogurt cups.
Cranachan is a snack from Scotland, which is traditionally whipped cream, whiskey, honey, raspberries and toasted oats. This is not traditional in any sense of the word, but since I got the idea from Nigel Slater, I figured I could describe this as such. You can't go in expecting granola, because it has a mouth feel closer to muesli than granola (drier, no crunch). Most recipes I crossed sweeten the oats and because I am such a granola fan, I couldn't help myself from adding nuts (there must be crunch!). I lightened it up by using greek yogurt and added a bit of cocoa to compliment the swirl of sweet berries. They save for a day or two, so I've packed up a few to have on hands for an afternoon sweet tooth.
YOGURT, STRAWBERRIES + "CRANACHAN" // Serves 4
Inspiration from Nigel Slater's Ripe
The strawberries I used were super ripe, and I would suggest you use the same if possible, as they yield a sweeter, juicier sauce. You could use frozen as well if you only come across immature, tart berries. The amount of sugar to get just a barely sweetened strawberry mash is up to you.
// cocoa cranachan //
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
3/4 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts
1/3 cup muscavado or light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
plain, lowfat Greek yogurt
1 pint ripe strawberries
2 tsp. natural cane sugar
Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the oats on a rimmed baking tray and toast for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until they turn lightish brown and just begin to smell nutty. While the oats toast, put the hazelnuts, muscavado, cocoa, maple and salt in a bowl. As soon as you pull out the oats, put them into the bowl of goodies and toss them around so the sugar melts onto the oats. *Typically, this is where cranachan would be done but the muscavado didn't melt well for me, so I put the mixture back in the oven for another 6 minutes to help it stick to the oats and nuts. If yours needs more heat to melt the sugar, just pop the tray back in. Remove to cool.
Halve or quarter the strawberries and put them in a large mixing bowl with the sugar. Give them a rough mash, but enough to get some juice out. Adjust sugar as preferred.
Prepare your treats with a scoop of yogurt, scoop of berries and scoop of the cranachan. Repeat if you'd like the layered effect.
Reader Comments (23)
ohmygoodness! we're still riding out the end of strawberry season, so this will be made immediately after picking this weekend :o) i might not be able to wait until then, though. i roasted last weekend's picks (the ones i couldn't resist eating on the way home & every time i passed by the pints...) with some cherries (inspired by you & heidi) before leaving on a business trip, and i can barely wait to get home to indulge. and cranachan? my heavens...i eat granola (agree 100% - ALWAYS with nuts for good crunch) all the time, so it's a no brainer that i need to make that pronto. you're the best, sara!
Sadly, only one local farmer near where I live in Texas grows strawberries and their last picking was several weeks ago. It was indeed a sad moment, but I think I ended up buying four or five pints and indulging in as many as possible until next year. Our blueberries are in season right now so perhaps I can swap them in instead. The recipe and photos look absolutely delicious, as always.
I've never heard of cranachan, but have no doubt I'd love it considering that I'm a big fan of everything in it. I'll definitely keep an eye out for strawberries worthy of this recipe at my next trip to the farmers' market!
Oh this is such a lovely idea, all of a sudden I see the point of cranachan!
oh man! we're going to the market this weekend (cheaper than driving an hour to pick, sadly enough) and i'm goign to LOAD UP. this is a mighty high possibility on my recipe list! also included are strawberry scones and plenty of jam :).
I hate to brag, but here in Australia strawberry season has just started. For some reason, which I have yet to investigate, our strawberries start in about June (winter) and run all the way through to November (end of Spring). I will definitely remember how lucky I am to have such a long season, and plenty of time to try out this delicious recipe!
Thanks for sharing.
CRANACHAN... I love adding new food terms to my vocabulary. Cranachan! Cranachan! Cranachan!
Oh I love cranachan. Ate it many times in Scotland. This sounds like a wonderful variation and I love the addition of cocoa powder. Very nice!
Beautiful pictures!!
Calm down, lady. It's just a recipe and she has it in quotes. Did you create the original dish yourself? No? Then relax.
I just love coming to this space. I'm always so inspired, and find myself lost in the photos.
Also, I often eat breakfast for dinner. Or dessert. It's all good. ;)
Feel free to delete my comment now that it no longer makes sense. ;)
@kristen - naw, makes me feel better ;) thank you. I feel this is my happy space and i'll delete her negative juju if I want to. I had no intention of defiling Scottish tradition, thanks for seeing that.
Of course. :) Love your blog. Don't let it get you down.
cranachan is new to me - looks so good! Thank you.
Local strawberry season hasn't even begun yet (I live in western Canada) and now I also have this recipe to look forward to!
Hi!
Another lurker. Just wanted to congratulate you on your wonderful blog. I have been following your posts for a few months now and must say I am simply in awe of your recipes, the photos, your food philosophy, the way you describe your relationship to your other half and the fact that this blog is a joint effort!
The cranachan sounds great - it very much reminds me of what my mother used to make for us sometimes when we were kids (and which I, for want of a better word, had always called "lazy granola") - basically my mother would add some oats and sugar, maybe some nuts or seeds as well, to a dry frying pan and stir on medium heat until the sugar started to melt, the whole mixture starting to clump together and the kitchen was filled with the smell of toasted oats and caramel. We used this as a topping for yoghurt parfaits or fruit salads or even ice cream. And it was only now, reading your post, that it occurred to me that my mum's quick granola was probably her twist on cranachan - shall ask her later and find out!
All the best
Sophia
This is my first time hearing of cranachan, but certainly not the last! This recipe looks delicious.
Your pictures continuously blow me away. They have a nostalgic, timeless quality to them that seems to romanticise the simple goodness of food. I find myself inspired each time I visit your site!
this looks so awesome! can't wait to make it. your pictures are so pretty too..
Yum, I could eat this for ever... I'll just substitute seasonal fruit throughout the seasons...... Keep them coming girlfriend! You have inspired me to start blogging. You just seem to have so much fun with your blog and I have to jump on this wagon..... BTW, this CSS business is hard.... ay YAY yay.... Caramba!
I love your photographs. I'm sure you must hear that all the time! It's cool to see such artistic shots and the use of black and white (like with the wheat brioche buns). Congrats on your upcoming cookbook! I've got one coming out a little bit later this year, too.
Sara, I'm with you on the need for crunch! I'll have to try your version of this. As a side note, I'm loving the word "cranachan" and may have to start inserting it in random conversations...
Strawberry salad seems very alluring and delicious, and I am inspired by your post!