Scottish

This speedy version of the long-cooked classic is light and brothy, but it's still substantial and flavorful enough — thanks to lamb, kale, and barley — to be a great winter meal.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Christopher Trotter's book The Scottish Kitchen As Trotter mentions, black bun is enjoyed at Hogmanay, which is the name for New Year's in Scotland.. This is a very traditional Scottish sweetmeat and is usually associated by most Scots with Hogmanay when it is eaten with a nip or two of whisky! It differs from most fruit cakes in that it is baked in a pastry case. It should be kept for several weeks to mature.

•Look for a sharp, white Cheddar that is on the dry side, such as English Wensleydale Farmhouse Truckle or Extra Old Black Diamond Cheddar.
•It's important not to whip air into the dough — simply mix until blended.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Ming Tsai's Simply Ming. This recipe only uses 1/4 of Ming Tsai's butter shortbread cookie dough. Use the rest to make his five-spice shortbread, double chocolate-ginger shortbread, and caramel macadamia nut crunch.

Evelyn Herring of Laguna Woods, California, writes: "My mother was raised in Scotland and learned to cook at a time when quality ingredients were hard to come by. She had to be imaginative, often substituting ingredients and improvising recipes. My own cooking has become Americanized over the years, but I still rely on her recipes. They're easy and always taste as good as the first time I tried them." These savory treats, called biscuits in Scotland, go well with cocktails or tea.

The cake takes its name from the wife of Jack Turner's former headmaster, but the recipe is reportedly an ancient Scottish one. Aluminum foil stands in for the traditional newspaper.

While this calls for four herbs, just one or two—rosemary and thyme, for example—would be fine.

Evelyn Herring of Laguna Woods, California, writes: "My mother was raised in Scotland and learned to cook at a time when quality ingredients were hard to come by. She had to be imaginative, often substituting ingredients and improvising recipes. My own cooking has become Americanized over the years, but I still rely on her recipes. They're easy and always taste as good as the first time I tried them." Crushed gingersnap cookies, marmalade, and raisins set this pie apart from the American version.

Try jazzing up the shortbread with chopped toasted nuts. We particularly like pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds. Use your favorite fine-quality butter for the best-tasting cookies.

These slightly sweet rounds are a cross between a cookie and a cracker. Eat them plain or with jam for breakfast, or top them with cheese for a snack.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At Inverlochy Castle, this dish is served with spinach and sautéed mushrooms, and tender asparagus tips are scattered over the fillets as a final garnish.

Cranachan is Scotland's traditional harvest-time pudding, a blend of Crowdie (an artisanal cottage cheese), cream, toasted oats, berries, whisky, and honey. Here, it's updated with crème fraîche (instead of the Crowdie), toasted hazelnuts, and grated chocolate, and served parfait-style in individual goblets. To allow the flavors to meld, assemble the parfaits ahead of time and chill them overnight before serving.

An updated version of Scottish shortbread.

The secret to tender shortbread — a classic Scottish treat — is not overworking the dough.

This classic cookie combines two of my favorite sweets: buttery-tender Scottish shortbread and satiny lilting English lemon curd. The problem has always been getting a firm enough topping and avoiding a soggy shortbread base. The special technique discovered for this recipe virtually guarantees success. The clean, refreshing flavor of lemon makes these the perfect sweets to follow a rich Christmas goose.

"The highlight of our trip to Scotland was a stay at Knockinaam Lodge in Portpatrick, on the southwest coast," writes Walter Deegan of Fairfax, Virginia. "My wife still talks about the caramel ice cream served for dessert one evening."

This style of tart, which has a texture reminiscent of pecan pie but is spiced with cinnamon and lemon peel and studded with raisins, is a specialty of the Borders, a southeast region that stretches from the English border to just south of Edinburgh. Many variations exist, some of them simply called "Border Tart." This one has as its namesake the village of Ecclefechan. Serve the tart at room temperature for afternoon tea or barely warm with a dollop of whipped cream and a scattering of toasted walnuts.