When we decided to celebrate Clan MacKay for February, we knew that we had to join up with the famous Scottish masters of conserves, MacKays, and create some fun recipes using their Jams, Chutneys and Marmalades. Be prepared to get creative in the kitchen...
MacKays was originally founded by the MacKay brothers in 1938, but since 1995 the business has been owned by the Grant family, who can be credited for making it the worldwide success it is today, they are even the third largest preserves brand in the UK. Their factory is in the lovely harbour town of Arbroath on the East Coast of Scotland where each product is handmade, with the only process completed by a machine being the bottling and labelling, which is why every single jar has it's own story to tell. MacKays really do have family at their core, so we have created recipes that the whole family can make and enjoy together!
Strawberry Fizz Cupcakes
When we discovered that MacKay's had a Strawberry Jam with Champagne in it, we knew we had to make something featuring this unusual combination, as we do like a glass of fizz at ScotlandShop! The team had a Monday morning brainstorm to create the ideal combination, and came up with the perfect recipe, Champagne Cupcakes, with a strawberry jam filling, topped with Champagne Icing, a delicious and decadent treat. MacKay's make all their jams using berries grown here in Scotland, keeping food miles to a minimum and benefitting from the moderate Scottish climate which allows for the berries to be grown over a much longer period of time creating a stronger and tastier flavour. If you are in Scotland in June and July make sure you stop at one of the many pick your own or farm shops and buy yourself a punnet of strawberries straight from the field to be able to really appreciate the flavours. The loamy soils of Perthshire, Fife and Angus warm up quickly and drain well which is why these regions are so perfect for growing berries.
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
150g Unsalted Butter
150g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
150g Self-Raising Flour
3 tbsp Champagne or Sparkling Wine of choice
12 tsp MacKays Strawberry with Champagne Jam
For the Icing:
350g Icing Sugar
150g Unsalted Butter
3 tbsp Champagne or Sparkling Wine of choice
6 tsp MacKays Strawberry with Champagne Jam for decorating
Sprinkles (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and prepare 12 cupcake cases in a tray.
2. Mix together the butter and sugar in a bowl until it makes a creamy mixture.
3. Then add in the 3 eggs, one at a time, and mix together until they are combined with the butter and sugar mixture.
4. Slowly add in your flour, mixing regularly until you have a thick cake batter.
5. Add in your champagne 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing the batter in between each tablespoons so that the mixture does not separate.
6. Transfer your mixture evenly into the cupcake cases, I aim to fill each case until its just over half full.
7. Then bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes, I found that 17 minutes was the optimum time in my oven.
8. Once cooked transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to allow them to cool, while they are cooling you can start making the icing.
9. To make the icing, mix together the butter and icing sugar until it makes a cream. This can take a while, but take your time, if you go too fast the icing sugar will go everywhere!
10. Then you are going to add in the champagne, again do this 1 tablespoon at a time, so that the mixture does not separate. Once you have added all the ingredients and mixed them together well, put your icing in the fridge to harden slightly while you do the next step.
11. Now your cupcakes should have cooled (if they haven't, let them cool completely before this step), so we can start to hollow each cupcake. To do this use a teaspoon, create a circle about 1.5cm in from the edge and scoop out the mixture so you have a mini bowl in the cupcake. Do this for every cupcake.
12. Fill the hole in with jam for each of the 12 cupcakes.
13. Now your icing should have hardened enough to put into the piping bag. Decorate each of your cupcakes in whichever fashion you would prefer, I created a swirl on top using the piping bag. Decorate with jam and sprinkles and there you have it, a scrumptious Strawberry Fizz Cupcake!
Scottish Sausage Rolls
We couldn't resist making something savoury using one of the MacKay chutneys, and on their website it is recommended that the chutneys are best enjoyed with sausages, so we decided to try mixing it into the sausage meat instead, to make homemade Sausage rolls, the perfect little afternoon snack! All the jams, marmalades and even the chutneys are made using copper pots, as this is the best metal for conducting heat as it gives the most even temperature. The preserves are boiled slowly, so that there is enough time for the aromas to be released and settle back into the mixture. When it comes to their chutneys MacKays produce them in small batches to ensure that each jar is packed full of flavour and you can taste each of the different seasonings and spices. So let's find out how you can make your very own sausage rolls!
Ingredients:
1lb Sausage Meat
750g Pre-Rolled Pastry
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs
1 tsp Parsley
1 tsp Garlic Powder
3 tbsp MacKays Caramelised Red Onion with Chilli Chutney
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and Prepare 3-4 baking trays with parchment paper.
2. Put the sausage meat into a bowl and mix in the breadcrumbs, one egg and seasonings until combined.
3. Then add in the MacKays Chutney to the sausage meat and mix until everything is fully combined. Separate this into 6 sections of sausage meat. Lay this bowl to the side while you do the next step.
4. Spread flour out on to the countertop and lay down your pastry flat. Roll it out a bit flatter if you feel it is quite thick. Then cut this into three or six long rectangle strips of pastry with a knife (I had six strips of pastry as my pastry was two separate 375g rolls)
5. Then you are going to stretch each of your sausage meat sections down the centre of the pastry strips, make sure they are equally spread out so that each bit will cook evenly.
6. Bring one side of the pastry so it folds over the top of the sausage meat, then pinch onto the other bit of pastry using a fork. Pat down the sausage meat, again so its even.
7. Repeat this process along each of your strips of pastry.
8. Cut the strips into logs, about 2 inches long, then transfer onto your baking trays, making sure they are all spread apart a fair amount.
9. Whisk together your egg in a separate bowl with some water, then brush on the tops of the sausage rolls, we do this so that when they come out of the oven they will have a nice golden colour.
10. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Check one of the rolls to ensure the sausage meat is cooked. Now to enjoy your tasty creation! We loved ours and I was very popular when I appeared in the dispatch department with my tray laden with delicious goodies.
Dundee Daiquiri
MacKay's are based in Dundee, which just so happens to be the home of The Dundee Orange Marmalade, but did you know that MacKay's are the only company still producing the famous preserve? The story of the marmalade first began in the 18th Century after a Spanish ship docked at Dundee harbour to take cover during a particularly bad storm. On board there was a large crate of Seville Oranges, which a local grocer, James Keiller, decided to purchase. He and his mother, Janet, tried the oranges for themselves but decided they were far too bitter to eat. So, Janet experimented with the oranges to make them sweet enough to eat, which was when she boiled them up with sugar, and that is how The Dundee Orange Marmalade was created. James went on to create his own brand of marmalade, James Keiller & Son, which was extremely popular during the 18th and 19th Centuries. The company sadly stopped trading in 1992. The brand was so famous that vintage jars of the marmalade are now sold on eBay for as much as £80! MacKays like to stick to tradition, and so they import their oranges from Seville to use in their Dundee Orange Marmalade recipe, ensuring they keep the same flavour and sweetness that was intended with the original recipe.
Since we had already made a sweet and a savoury snack, we thought the next logical step was a drink, and we could not think of any better drink than a cocktail! We took the MacKays route and tried to stay traditional, by making a Daiquiri, but making it that little bit more exciting by adding marmalade to the drink. We know that marmalade is quite the controversial ingredient when it comes to cocktails, considering it's not technically a liquid, but in our opinion it gave the drink a tangy, yet sweet taste, which is just what you want from a cocktail. When we told MacKays that we would be creating recipes with their jams, they suggested we make a Dundee Daiquiri and boy are we glad they did, because it was really easy to make and even easier to drink! Try it for yourself and let us know what you think.
Ingredients:
2 Shots White Rum
1 Shot Orange Liquer
1 Shot MacKays Orange Marmalade
1 Shot Sugar Syrup
1/2 Shot Lime Juice
Plenty of Ice Cubes
Orange Slices for decorating
Method:
1. Add all the ingredients (apart from the orange slices) to a cocktail shaker
2. Give it all a good shake
3. Transfer to your glass of choice and and decorate with an orange slice
4. Ta-da! Now sit back, have a drink and enjoy!
We hope you are feeling inspired to follow one of our recipes or create one of your own! If you do get inventive like us or follow any of our recipes we would love to see your pictures, so be sure to email us or tag us on Facebook or Instagram. The MacKay's product range is available in over 80 countries worldwide and in Scotland you can find the brand in almost all major supermarkets, including Booths and Waitrose. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram if you want more recipe ideas.