How Not To Make Aberdeen Rowies
Last night at around 11.45pm…yes 11.45pm. I finally got around to attempting to make Aberdeen Rowies. I had kept putting the task off. I first read the instructions on how to make them a while back and everything seemed so complicated.
I had heard from numerous exiled Aberdonians who had attempted to make Rowies at home and things didn’t quite turn as they had hoped. However last night I was desperate for a fix…I needed to taste some delicious Aberdeen Rowies. Nothing was going to stop me. I emailed Gordon Ramsay again, but he ignored me again. This time I’m serious Gordon you’re off my Christmas card list again!
It was 11.45pm and I was in the mood to make some Rowies I had bought all the ingredients well over a month ago, that is how long I had been contemplating making the things. I had my check-list of things required, as well as my secret ingredient! ‘Fuck…fuck…fuck.’ I had forgotten to buy soft brown sugar. So did I what any professional does and that was head to the 24hr supermarket on Kilburn High Road.
I found a recipe on a web site called Scottish Recipes, that seemed to explain everything reasonable well. I just wish I could have found a Youtube video, that would have simplified things for a guy like me that knows nothing about baking! Why did it seem to be so complicated, what the heck is ‘give the dough a good knead’. Thanks to the wonders of the internet I found a video demonstration of kneading dough and ‘bobs your uncle’ I was back on track. In fact I found kneading dough a touch on the therapeutic side, it was relaxing!
I took great care to weigh out all the ingredients for my first attempt at Aberdeen Rowies. There wasn’t going to be any mistakes. I slowly…very slowly followed each step and things gradually started to come together. That is until, it came to the point when I had to roll out the mixture. I of course didn’t have a rolling pin. A quick search on google to find out how to improvise a rolling pin, resulted in me going back again to the 24hr shop to buy a bottle of wine!
I thought the recipe was bit out when it said to put in a pinch of salt, they are having a laugh, so I put in 3 pinches. Rowies aint exactly health food, but who cares they taste delicious…fuck you Terry Wogan and Gillian McKeith, two well know celebrities who have slandered the good name of Aberdeen Rowies.
Because I’m a nice guy, I will reveal my secret ingredient that I put into my Rowie mixture…a few drops of Glenmorangie Single Malt Scottish Whisky…yes indeed. I remember when I was a wee loon back home in Aberdeen, a shop in Bank Street, Ferryhill use to make the best Rowies that I have ever tasted, until the guy retired and the shop closed. And I heard it from a reliable source his secret ingredient was whisky!
After a lot of blood, sweat and tears I finally managed to get everything mixed together. When I divided up the mixture my lumps kinda resembled rowies. 20 minutes later when they came out of the oven, they really did look like Rowies. It was maybe 2am, but I was wide awake with excitement…the first time I had clapped eyes on Rowies for over 2 years.
They maybe looked like the real deal…but how did my Rowies taste? Well last night when they came out of the oven they tasted nae too bad, quite good for my first attempt I thought. In fact I was impressed.
This morning I woke up bright and early at around 7am full of excitement and happiness that I was going to be having 4 Aberdeen Rowies for my breakfast. The excitement didn’t last for long, because everything went horrible wrong, they didn’t quite taste so good cold. They were definitely lacking in salt, the recipe wasn’t right. I wasn’t happy!
The next time I want some delicious Aberdeen Rowies it might just be easier jumping on a plane and going home and buying some from Chalmers Bakery. Sometimes the making of a great delicacy such as Aberdeen Rowies are best left to the professionals.
Related posts:
Follow Us!
