A short post this week, but I wanted to publish a recipe to celebrate Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, whose anniversary falls on January 25th each year. These cute,  haggis-shaped sweet treats are a version of my Chocolate Haggis for a Burns Night supper (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan) recipe from last year. You can mix and match ingredients according to the bits and pieces you have to hand. If you don’t like marzipan,  use ivory or cream coloured fondant icing instead.

Makes: 16

Ingredients

• 50g unsalted butter or coconut oil
• 50g heather honey or golden syrup
• 75g free-from dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 75g free-from oatcakes, finely crushed
• 40g toasted fine oatmeal
• 50g currants
• 50g toasted flaked almonds, crushed
• Icing sugar to dust
• 400g natural marzipan

1. Put the butter (coconut oil) and honey (golden syrup) in a saucepan with the chocolate, and heat very gently, stirring, until melted.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the crushed oatcakes, oatmeal, currants and almonds. Mix well until thoroughly combined. Leave to cool, then chill for about 30 minutes until firm enough to form into portions.
3. Divide the mixture into 16 and form each into an oval-shaped sausage. Chill for 30 minutes until firm.
4. Divide the marzipan into 16 and flatten each into a round – use a little icing sugar if the marzipan is sticky. Wrap a disc of marzipan around each chocolate oat cluster; press the edges to seal and then twist the ends to make a haggis shape.

   

   Store the mini haggis at a cool room temperature until ready to eat. The marzipan will become sticky if refrigerated. Best enjoyed with coffee and a wee dram.  Until next week, I raise a glass to you all and say “Slàinte!” – to your good health 🙂