okay so my Scottish grandmother used to make this insanely sweet candy called tablet and I literally thought about it for like 15 years before I finally tried making it myself.

she passed away when I was in high school and I never got the recipe from her which is one of those regrets you carry around forever. spent years asking my aunts if anyone had written it down but nobody did because apparently grandma just made it from memory and never measured anything.

first attempt was an absolute disaster. I found a recipe online and followed it exactly but somehow ended up with this grainy sugary mess that wouldn’t set. threw the whole batch away and felt like a failure. second time I didn’t cook it long enough and it stayed soft like fudge which tasted good but wasn’t tablet. third attempt I burned it because I was watching TikToks and not paying attention to the pot lol.

fourth time though? nailed it. that crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s sweeter than you think anything should be but somehow works. now I make it every Christmas and my family loses their minds over it.

Why this stuff is addicting

it’s basically just sugar and condensed milk so incredibly cheap to make considering how fancy it seems

has this unique crumbly texture that’s different from fudge or any other candy

literally tastes like pure nostalgia if you grew up eating it or just pure sugar heaven if you didn’t

makes a ton so perfect for gifting during holidays when you need like 20 presents

stores forever in a tin so you can make it weeks ahead and not worry about it

What you need

here’s what goes in but honestly the ratios matter more than I thought:

How to actually make it

 

Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and set it aside. you’ll need it fast later so don’t skip this step at the beginning like I did the first time.

 

Put everything except the vanilla into a huge heavy-bottomed pot. I use my biggest soup pot because this bubbles up like crazy and I’ve learned the hard way that a small pot equals boiling sugar all over your stove.

 

Heat everything on medium stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. this takes maybe 10 minutes and your arm gets tired but you can’t stop stirring or it’ll stick to the bottom and burn.

Turn the heat up to medium-high once the sugar is dissolved and bring it to a boil. keep stirring constantly and I mean constantly like you cannot stop for even a second.

okay so here’s the tricky part—keep boiling and stirring for about 20-25 minutes until it reaches soft ball stage which is like 240 degrees if you have a candy thermometer. if you don’t have one you can test it by dropping a tiny bit into cold water and seeing if it forms a soft ball.

the mixture will turn from white to golden brown and get thicker. mine usually takes about 22 minutes but every stove is different so just watch it closely.

 

Take it off the heat the second it hits temperature because it keeps cooking and you can go from perfect to burnt in like 30 seconds. add your vanilla and stir it in.

 

Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until it starts to thicken and lose its shine. this is exhausting and your arm will hate you but it’s what makes it get that crumbly texture instead of being smooth like fudge.

 

Pour it into your prepared pan quickly because it sets fast. I use a spatula to spread it out but honestly it never looks perfect and that’s fine.

Let it cool completely at room temperature. I usually leave mine for like 3-4 hours or overnight because I’m impatient and if you try to cut it too early it falls apart.

 

Cut it into small squares with a sharp knife. I do like 48 pieces because it’s so sweet that nobody needs a huge chunk.

Tips and random thoughts

• Use a candy thermometer if you have one because guessing at soft ball stage is really hard. I guessed wrong twice before I finally bought a thermometer for like ten dollars and it changed everything.
• Don’t try to double this recipe in one pot. the bigger batch doesn’t cook evenly and you’ll end up with some burnt and some undercooked. just make two separate batches if you need more.
• Add a tiny pinch of salt to the mixture before cooking if you want to cut the sweetness slightly. I started doing this and think it tastes better but my aunt says that’s not traditional so whatever.
• If it’s really humid out the tablet won’t set as firm. I tried making it during summer once and it stayed kind of soft. best to make it when it’s dry outside.

Storage stuff

keeps at room temperature in an airtight container or tin for like a month easily. probably longer but mine never lasts that long.

I put parchment paper between the layers when I stack it so the pieces don’t stick together. learned this after making a batch and just throwing all the pieces in a container and they became one giant tablet blob.

you can freeze it for months but I’ve never needed to because of how long it lasts at room temperature.

found a tin in my pantry last year that I thought was tablet from Christmas but it turned out to be some kind of weird cookie thing from I don’t even know when. threw it out immediately. this is why I should label things but I’m terrible at remembering to do that.

Nutrition per piece

for 48 pieces which is what I usually cut:

these numbers are from some online calculator so probably not exact. also depends on how big you cut your pieces because I’m definitely not consistent with sizing.

Questions people always ask

 

Why did my tablet turn out grainy?

you either didn’t stir it enough while it was cooking or you beat it too much after taking it off the heat. there’s this sweet spot where you beat it just enough to make it crumbly but not so much it crystallizes. it takes practice to figure out the right amount honestly.

 

Can I use something instead of condensed milk?

not really because the condensed milk is kind of the whole point. evaporated milk won’t work the same and neither will regular milk. you need that thick sweet condensed milk to get the right texture and flavor.

 

What’s the difference between tablet and fudge?

tablet is harder and more crumbly and way sweeter. fudge is smooth and soft and has a different texture entirely. they’re made similarly but the beating process and cooking temperature make them come out totally different.

 

Mine won’t set what do I do?

if it’s been like 6 hours and it’s still soft you probably didn’t cook it long enough. you can try reheating it and cooking it to a higher temperature but honestly I’ve never had success with that. usually I just accept it as really sweet fudge and eat it with a spoon.

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