IRN-BRU, Whiskey and Rosehip Foilleag (cupcakes) with a Bride’s Bonn (shortbread) topping

Name: IRN-BRU, Whiskey and Rosehip Foilleag (cupcakes) with a Bride’s Bonn (shortbread) topping
Total time: 1200 s
Yield: 9 cupcakes
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: Syrup:; 1 can (330 ml) IRN-BRU to make 60 ml syrup*; Cake:; 60 g unsalted butter; 150 g caster sugar; 2 eggs, room temperature; 75 ml full fat milk; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 30 ml IRN-BRU syrup*; 150 g plain flour; 1 1/4 tsp baking powder; 1/8 tsp salt; 1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil; 90 g rosehip jam (see note); 1 tbsp Scottish whisky (optional); Frosting:; 50 g unsalted butter, room temperature; 150 g icing sugar; 30 ml IRN-BRU syrup*; wee dram Loch Fyne liqueur or Scottish whisky (optional); Decoration:; 3 shortbread biscuits, crumbled

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

The rosehip is abundant in the hedgerows, its beautiful red or orange seed pod glistens in the sunshine. The rosehip is the fruit of the wild rose plant (or any rose for that matter) and is a significant source of vitamin C and other antioxidants used in teas, jellies and medicines and also makes a great jam.

IRN-BRU is a Scottish drink invented in 1901. Steel workers in Scotland were reportedly drinking too much beer to quench their thirst during a long day at work and A G Barr, the soft drink manufacturer, created a new tonic-like drink to provide an energy boost. Originally known as Iron Brew referencing its purported iron content, marketed as a health benefit, it had to change its name to IRN-BRU following labelling regulations after WWII as it wasn’t brewed. This Scottish icon is still ‘bru’d’ in Cumbernauld, Scotland and has become a beloved part of Scottish culture, often referred to as Scotland’s ‘other national drink’.

Scottish shortbread evolved from 12th-century medieval ‘biscuit bread’. By the 16th century, during Mary, Queen of Scots' reign, it had become a rich, butter-based biscuit known for its crumbly, short texture due to its high butter content. A charming tradition from the Shetland and Orkney Islands is the Bride’s Bonn, breaking a decorated shortbread cake over the heads of a new bride as she enters her home.

Foilleag is the Scottish Gaelic word for a small, dainty cake. These little cakes although small in stature are big in flavour. #CA2025

Laura @FeelBetter

Milton Keynes, England

Foilleag is the Scottish Gaelic word for a small, dainty cake. These little cakes although small in stature are big in flavour. #CA2025

Saved

Ingredients

20 minutes

9 cupcakes

Syrup:
1 can (330 ml)IRN-BRU to make 60 ml syrup*
Cake:
60 gunsalted butter
150 gcaster sugar
2eggs, room temperature
75 mlfull fat milk
2 tspvanilla extract
30 mlIRN-BRU syrup*
150 gplain flour
1 1/4 tspbaking powder
1/8 tspsalt
1 1/2 tspvegetable oil
90 grosehip jam (see note)
1 tbspScottish whisky (optional)
Frosting:
50 gunsalted butter, room temperature
150 gicing sugar
30 mlIRN-BRU syrup*
wee dram Loch Fyne liqueur or Scottish whisky (optional)
Decoration:
3shortbread biscuits, crumbled

Saved

Steps

20 minutes

1

Syrup: Boil the IRN-BRU until it has reduced to 60 ml. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 160ºC fan and line a muffin tray with paper cases. Heat the milk and butter gently until the butter has melted. Do not let it boil.
2

Cake: Beat the eggs then add the sugar gradually and continue beating until tripled in size and lighter in colour (around 6 minutes). Add the baking powder and salt to the flour then gradually add to the batter.
In an empty bowl, pour in the hot buttery milk, vanilla, oil and IRN-BRU syrup. Add a cup of batter into the hot milk and whisk. Add this back into the batter and whisk until just incorporated scraping down the bowl once.
3

Add a spoon of batter into the cupcake cases so it is a 1/3rd up the case. Add a small amount of jam into each one. Add more batter until it reaches 2/3 rds of the way up the case. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer poked into one of the cupcakes comes out clean and they are springy to touch.
Once out of the oven, drizzle cupcakes with a wee dram of whiskey. Let the cupcakes cool fully.
4

Frosting: Beat the unsalted butter with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes to loosen it then gradually beat in the icing sugar until well combined. Add the whiskey and IRN-BRU syrup one spoonful at a time, beating well each time. Top the cupcakes with the buttercream and top with crumbled shortbread.
5

No idea why but the cupcakes appeared from the oven like those cute little mythical Scottish creatures, haggi with noses and little legs.

Tips

Note: Homemade rosehip jam is great but such a faff as the seeds inside are covered in fine, irritant hairs which are hard to remove – they are used as itching powder! There are some really good jams available to buy - this one is particularly good from the Danish shop, Søstrene Grene.