Buxton - The Famous Grouse whisky companion: heritage, history, recipes and drinks

Ian Buxton, for the introductory text () and feature pages throughout the book.

Steven Craik, Executive Head Chef, The Famous Grouse Experience

Andy Gemmell, Mixologist, Mixxit

Ian Buxton lives in Perthshire on the site of a former distillery. He writes regularly for Whisky Magazine and other publications and was Editor and co-author of Cutty Sark: The Making of a Whisky. His latest book is 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die.

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Published in 2011 by Ebury Press, an imprint of Ebury Publishing

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Illustration by Martin Haake

ISBN 9780091944742

A buttery, sweet and rich classic apple dessert that is delicious served with The Famous Grouse ice cream.

Serves 6

For the whisky ice cream

500 ml double cream

2 vanilla pods

70 g caster sugar

3 egg yolks

50 ml (2 drams) The Famous Grouse

For the apple tarte tatin

100 g sugar

5 eating apples, peeled, cored and halved

100 g butter

500 g ready-made puff pastry

To make the ice cream, place the cream into a saucepan over a low heat. Halve the vanilla pods lengthways and scrape out and reserve the seeds. Add the vanilla pods to the cream and bring to a boil, then add the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl, then slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture.

Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into another bowl and whisk in the vanilla seeds. Allow to cool, stir in the whisky and either churn in an ice cream maker until frozen or pour the mixture into a freezer-proof container and freeze for 23 hours, or until set.

To make the tarte tatin, preheat the oven to 190C (gas mark 5). Put the sugar and 50 ml water into an ovenproof dish, approx 20 cm in diameter. Place over a high heat, bring to a boil, then simmer until it turns a light caramel colour. Carefully add the apples to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and turning them occasionally, until they start to soften. Add the butter and stir. Remove from the heat then lay the pastry over the top of the dish, tucking it right into the edges (use a wooden spoon, as the apple mixture will be hot).

Bake for about 2530 minutes, or until golden, with caramel bubbling up from the sides. Turn out onto a serving plate and serve hot with whisky ice cream.

This is a nice seasonal dish and great warmer for those winter nights.

Serves 4 (makes 2 strudels)

2 eating apples (preferably Coxs), peeled, cored and diced

2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced

225 g mincemeat

50 ml (2 drams) The Famous Grouse

Flour, for dusting

1 packet filo pastry (6 large sheets)

50 g butter, melted

2 tsp icing sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

200 g crme frache, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200C (gas mark 6). In a bowl, mix together the apple, pears and mincemeat, stir in the whisky and set aside for 30 minutes.

Place a sheet of filo pastry lengthways on a lightly floured surface and brush with melted butter. Place another sheet on top, brush with melted butter again and top with a third sheet. Spoon half the filling onto the pastry along the edge nearest you, about 2.5 cm from the edge. Roll the filling up in the pastry, tucking the ends in as you go. Place the strudel onto a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filo pastry sheets and filling.

Brush the outside of the strudels with melted butter and bake in the preheated oven for about 1520 minutes until golden.

Place on a serving plate and dust with icing sugar and cinnamon. Serve with crme frache.

Hot apple crumble and apple syllabub served with a quenelle of whisky-scented apple and cinnamon ice cream.

Serves 6

For the apple mixture

50 g butter

800 g cooked apples, peeled, cored and quartered

2 tsp ground cinnamon

50 g raisins

2 tbsp caster sugar

For the apple and cinnamon ice cream ( litre mix)

quantity apple mixture

500 ml double cream

2 vanilla pods

70 g sugar

3 egg yolks

50 ml (2 drams) The Famous Grouse

1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the crumble

quantity apple mixture

150 g plain flour, sieved

85 g sugar

100 g butter, cubed

Pinch of salt

For the apple syllabub

quantity apple mixture

1 meringue shell, broken

100 ml whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

Cocoa powder, sifted

To serve

3 shortbread biscuits

Icing sugar, sifted

To make the apple mixture, melt the butter in a pan, add the apples, cinnamon, raisins and sugar and cook for about 20 minutes over a low heat until softened. Set aside to cool.

To make the ice cream, place the cream in a saucepan and start to heat. Halve the vanilla pods lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add the pods to the cream and bring to the boil, then add the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl then slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture.

Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into another bowl and whisk in the vanilla seeds. Allow to cool, stir in the whisky, ground cinnamon and apple mixture and either churn in an ice-cream maker until frozen or pour the mixture into a freezer-proof container and freeze for 23 hours, or until set.